Sha wop bop a loo bop

the weekend’s here! I love weekends. Whilst no longer the pinnacle of sleeping-late-lazy-breakfast-reading-newspaper bliss it once was, there is nothing quite like waking to a small child beside the bed, flicking on the tv for some cartoons and all snuggling in for another half hour or so. I did attempt to hid under the covers once and pretend to be dead, or failing that, asleep, but that merely incited a rather boisterous game of peek-a-boo. So I’ve resigned myself to a fate of Mickey Mouse, Pooh Bear, preschooler cuddles and sloppy toddler kisses. Yeah. I know. Sucks to be me, huh? But hey, someone’s gotta do it!

 

So as I attempt to whip the house into some kind of order, in preparation for the onslaught to come (why is it that husbands seem to make as much, if not more, mess as the children?), I just wanted to pop in quickly and share a little birthday card I whipped up a couple of Saturday’s ago, after realising I’d procrastinated to the point of walking out the door *oops* and thus had around five minutes tops to come up with a card.

 

Another birthday this weekend means I’ll be raiding the offcuts box again, and I’ll be sure to show the results on Monday. One weekend, two birthday parties and the promise of a thunderstorm or three. It’s going to be interesting!

 

Oh Hai Wednesday…

Monday was sucky. Yesterday was marginally better. And today, well, I’m going to rock this Wednesday!

 

Poor Bear came home from preschool on Monday feeling a tad under the weather. And our darling first born, our cherished son, he struggles, poor chap. What may look like a cold to an outsider, is really a desperately terminal case of man-flu, bless him. He’s dying, dontchya know? I love him to bits, but by golly, he’s a drama queen!

 

So Monday was pretty much him on my lap. Yesterday was a Thomas marathon, interspersed with a brief Nemo interlude, and just before lunch, that cheeky little smile appeared, so we dragged out the craft box, to give the tv a break. When doing toddler craft, I tend to take inspiration from our day. So yesterday, we read a particular favourite, “Where is the Green Sheep?”, so, rummaging deep in the box, I went in search of some toilet rolls for a body. Sir Murphy came to visit though, and of course, from an abunance of rolls, we were down to NIL! Never mind, into box 2, and a shoebox lid made an ideal substrate for a green sheep in profile…

 

Today, it’s all about catch ups. Housework. Filing. Photo organisation. Phone calls. Chaseys. Books, craft, trains. If the weather holds, maybe an excursion outside for some fresh air & a swing. Maybe a sandpit stop. I may just drag out my scrapping supplies and punh out a couple of pages. I want to play with my camera & see if I can get some equipment working again. And I have an idea for some photos of small boys. It’s Wednesday, it’s hump day, and we are loving it! Let’s do this!

 

Spring beckons…

The birds as singing. The tiny buds on the trees are bursting into glorious greenery. The weather is warmer. Our vege patch is producing copious quantities of fruit & vegetables. And with the return of the warmer weather, along comes my mojo! Woo-hoo, I’m back on the wagon, ready for a beautiful, soul-stirring season of creating! I love spring & summer. In winter, I curl into myself, my creative spirit huddles deep inside, afraid of the icy studio should it poke it’s head out to check if the seasons have once again changed.

 

But today. A beautiful, so-warm-it’s-almost-hot spring day, I urged that creative spirit to be still. To just watch & absorb the moments that make life wonderful. Sitting in the sun, playing in the sandpit, reading a book. A clothesline of clean clothes flapping in the wind. A clean house. A freshly baked cake. Two small boys who are able to melt me heart with the cheekiest of grins, and the cutest turns of phrase. A day for us. For revelling in the wonder that is spring time.

 

And yes, for those paying attention to the ramblings of a woman drunk on breathing pollen-laden spring air, I’ve been a-reading. I’m a member of the Doubleday Book Club, and to round out my 12-month club commitment, I treated myself to a wonderful historical novel by the talented Phillippa Gregory, finished as I lay on the back lawn, the sun streaming through the leaves of the tree above me, two small boys playing at my side. And I am anxiously stalking the postie for the arrival of my next book – the newie from Audrey Niffenegger, she of The Time Travellers Wife talent. Oh yeah, I’m excited! So with 34 books down, I’m looking shakey for a target of 50, but we’ll see how we go! (And as an aside – any of you other challenge girls interested in maybe a little bookmark swap? I think the rest of you are all sewing girls too… Leave a comment and let me know if you are keen!)

 

The list as it stands:

 

1. The Great Gatsby – F Scott Fitzgerald (fiction, opshop find) *** (Jan 09)

2. Fishing for Stars – Bryce Courtney (fiction, new/gift) ***1/2 (Jan 09)

3. The Time Travellers Wife – Audrey Niffenegger (fiction, re-read for the 736th time) ****1/2 (Feb 09)

4. The Adventure of English:A biography of a Language – Melvin Bragg(non-fiction, re-read for the 312th time) ***1/2 (Feb 09)

5. Vet in a Spin – James Herriot (non-fiction, memoir, re-read) **** (Feb 09)

6. Let Sleeping Dogs Lie – James Herriot (non-fiction, memoir, re-read) ***1/2 (Feb 09)

7. Various Flavours of Coffee – Anthony Capella (fiction, library find) ***1/2 (Feb 09)

8. How to help you child read & write – Dr Dominic Wyse (non-fiction, library find) *** (Feb 09)

9. Before I Wake – John Scott (fiction, library find) (in progress, contemplating giving up!)

10. From Here to Maternity – Sinead Moriarty (fiction, chick-lit, library find) **** (March 09)

11. Dog Stories – James Herriot (non-fiction, memoirs, re-read) *** (March 09)

12. The Planets – Dava Sobel (non-fiction, astronomy, new/gift) **** (March 09)

13. Creative Play for Your Baby – Christopher Clouder & Janni Nicol (non-fiction, Steiner based play & craft, new) ***** (March 09)

14. The Writing Class – Jincy Willitt (fiction, light crime/homour, library find) **** (April 09)

15. Australia Street – Ann Whitehead (fiction, drama, library find) **** (April 09)

16. Behind the Bestsellers – Jenny Bond & Chris Sheedy (non-fiction, literature history, library find) ****1/2 (April 09)

17. But Wait, There’s More… – Robert Crawford (non-fiction, advertising, library find) ** (April 09)

18. Sacred Influence – Gary Thomas (non-fiction, Christian marriage, from my neglected collection) **** (April 09)

19. Princesses and Po.rn$tars – Emily McIntyre (non-fiction, modern feminism, library find) **** (May 09)

20. Wings above Billabong – Mary Grant Bruce (fiction, childrens/young teens fiction, well-read favourite) **** (May 09)

21. We Need to Talk About Kevin – Lionel Shriver (fiction, drama, library find)***1/2 (May 09)

22. The Pilot’s Wife – Anita Shreve (fiction, drama, library find) ****1/2 (May 09)

23. Double Fault – Lionel Shriver (fiction) **** (May 09)

24. The Last Time They Met – Anita Shreve (fiction) **** (June 09) 

25. Road to Paradise – Paullina Simons (fiction) ***1/2 (July 09)

26. Lessons in Heartbreak – Cathy Kelly (fiction) **** (July 09)

27. 1788 – David Hill (nonfiction, Australian History) ***(Aug 09)

28. Blue Paws – Matt McCredie (nonfiction, police dog memoirs) ***1/2 (Aug 09)

29. The No-Cry Sleep Solution – Elizabeth Pantley (nonfiction, attachment parenting) ****1/2 (Aug 09)

30. Fit to be Tied – Bill & Lynne Hybels (non-fiction, Christian marriage) **** (Aug 09)

31. Landscape Photography – Steve Parish (non-fiction, photography) ***(Sept 09)

32. Dear Fatty – Dawn French (non-fiction, auto-biography) *** (Sept 09)

33. The Wal-Mart Effect (non-fiction, economics/business) **** (Oct 09)

34. The White Queen, Phillippa Gregory (fiction, historical drama)****(Oct 09)

 

Been scrappin’

During a recent beach escape, on a warm afternoon, I left two gently snoring boys in the care of their daddy, and made my escape to a favourite little craft shop. I planned to be good, honestly I did, but somehow, I still managed to waltz out the door $75 lighter.

 

My illicit haul included some very yummy scrapping paper, so at the first opportunity, with both boys conveniently napping together, the washing pile growing larger, and the dust bunnies gathering to plot their takeover, I made myself a coffee, and shut myself in the studio.

 

Forty-five minutes and three pages later, I was renewed, refreshed, relaxed, and ready to knock the nearest dust bunny over the head. Amazing what a good creative burst can do for the soul.

 

 

Ker-plonk went the little green frog…

Or in this case, a beigey-browny somewhat frog-like creature!

 

We’ve been reading lots of books about frogs lately, which has evolved in many frog-like activities. After covering the loungeroom floor with a variety of cushion, erm, lilypads, and jumping around madly, mummy needed a breather to catch my breath. So out came the craft box, and with the aid of some scissors & sticky tape, a shoebox, four toilet rolls & the ubiquitous egg carton became the “almost-frog’ above. Which bought me just enough time to catch my breath before hitting the lilypads again. *ribbit*

 

Today is a soul-stirring day of sunshine & daydreams. The warmth of the sun fills the air with the promise of summer. A cup of tea in the sun, a book in my hand, and my delightful children playing beside me. A stolen moment in the studio. A reasonably clean house. A walk in the sunshine. The warmth is seeping into my soul, pulling at my heart & kicking starting my motivation. I feel some creating coming on. Let’s do this!

 

Reading, reading, and more reading!

Just a quick update of my reading list. Crafty stuff to come!

 

1. The Great Gatsby – F Scott Fitzgerald (fiction, opshop find) *** (Jan 09)

2. Fishing for Stars – Bryce Courtney (fiction, new/gift) ***1/2 (Jan 09)

3. The Time Travellers Wife – Audrey Niffenegger (fiction, re-read for the 736th time) ****1/2 (Feb 09)

4. The Adventure of English:A biography of a Language – Melvin Bragg(non-fiction, re-read for the 312th time) ***1/2 (Feb 09)

5. Vet in a Spin – James Herriot (non-fiction, memoir, re-read) **** (Feb 09)

6. Let Sleeping Dogs Lie – James Herriot (non-fiction, memoir, re-read) ***1/2 (Feb 09)

7. Various Flavours of Coffee – Anthony Capella (fiction, library find) ***1/2 (Feb 09)

8. How to help you child read & write – Dr Dominic Wyse (non-fiction, library find) *** (Feb 09)

9. Before I Wake – John Scott (fiction, library find) (in progress, contemplating giving up!)

10. From Here to Maternity – Sinead Moriarty (fiction, chick-lit, library find) **** (March 09)

11. Dog Stories – James Herriot (non-fiction, memoirs, re-read) *** (March 09)

12. The Planets – Dava Sobel (non-fiction, astronomy, new/gift) **** (March 09)

13. Creative Play for Your Baby – Christopher Clouder & Janni Nicol (non-fiction, Steiner based play & craft, new) ***** (March 09)

14. The Writing Class – Jincy Willitt (fiction, light crime/homour, library find) **** (April 09)

15. Australia Street – Ann Whitehead (fiction, drama, library find) **** (April 09)

16. Behind the Bestsellers – Jenny Bond & Chris Sheedy (non-fiction, literature history, library find) ****1/2 (April 09)

17. But Wait, There’s More… – Robert Crawford (non-fiction, advertising, library find) ** (April 09)

18. Sacred Influence – Gary Thomas (non-fiction, Christian marriage, from my neglected collection) **** (April 09)

19. Princesses and Po.rn$tars – Emily McIntyre (non-fiction, modern feminism, library find) **** (May 09)

20. Wings above Billabong – Mary Grant Bruce (fiction, childrens/young teens fiction, well-read favourite) **** (May 09)

21. We Need to Talk About Kevin – Lionel Shriver (fiction, drama, library find)***1/2 (May 09)

22. The Pilot’s Wife – Anita Shreve (fiction, drama, library find) ****1/2 (May 09)

23. Double Fault – Lionel Shriver (fiction) **** (May 09)

24. The Last Time They Met – Anita Shreve (fiction) **** (June 09) 

25. Road to Paradise – Paullina Simons (fiction) ***1/2 (July 09)

26. Lessons in Heartbreak – Cathy Kelly (fiction) **** (July 09)

27. 1788 – David Hill (nonfiction, Australian History) ***(Aug 09)

28. Blue Paws – Matt McCredie (nonfiction, police dog memoirs) ***1/2 (Aug 09)

{I am a German Shepard owner & lover, so this was a great book to see behind the life of a working dog. A bit sad in parts, but I’m still cracking up at the mental image of a large Alsatian laying on a bed, on his back, paws straight up in the air. Classic!}

29. The No-Cry Sleep Solution – Elizabeth Pantley (nonfiction, attachment parenting) ****1/2 (Aug 09)

{Yep, we have sleep issues. And no, I am not going to let my 11-month-old cry/scream himself to sleep. Awesome book that helps to encourage non-sleeping babies to sleep, with absolutely no controlled crying or the like.  Chubba Bubba still doesn’t sleep through the night, but he is a lot easier to settle. I feel like we are making progress. Great read for all mummies!}

30. Fit to be Tied – Bill & Lynne Hybels (non-fiction, Christian marriage) **** (Aug 09)

31. Landscape Photography – Steve Parish (non-fiction, photography) ***(Sept 09)

32. Dear Fatty – Dawn French (non-fiction, auto-biography) *** (Sept 09)

 

Yum, yum

It’s raining. Toys no longer hold the appeal they did just yesterday. Books have been read, songs have been sung, dances have been danced. With crafty inspiration running low, the boy and I have been baking. Some old-school honey crackles, and some racing car biscuits (which were a packet mix, which may or may not have been a bribe to behave while shopping…)

 

 

With the rain settling in, it’s going to be a cozy, crafty knd of day. Housework to power through, then strapping on my dancing shoes and busting a move to the Wiggles. Some more stories. Lots of cuddles & giggles & moments that make my heart melt. Two small boys, one crafty mama, and lots of boxes left over from recent birthdays. It’s going to get interesting! Let’s do this!

 

Reading update

After much procrastinating, I have finally found the surface of my studio desk. With the view out the window grey & bleak, and the gentle thunk of raindrops on the tin roof above me lulling me into a hypnotic state, I’ve dusted off the sewing machine and am ready to create! A shopping bag, a backpack. Some smocks. The Ugly Snuggly. Play clothes. Pyjamas. And not to mention the other creating I want to get stuck into. Some scrapping. Maybe a spot of painting. My mind is racing & my heart is singing. With the power of creativity surging through my bones, I will just leave you with a quick update on my reading list, and then it’s back into the zone for me.

 

1. The Great Gatsby – F Scott Fitzgerald (fiction, opshop find) *** (Jan 09)

2. Fishing for Stars – Bryce Courtney (fiction, new/gift) ***1/2 (Jan 09)

3. The Time Travellers Wife – Audrey Niffenegger (fiction, re-read for the 736th time) ****1/2 (Feb 09)

4. The Adventure of English:A biography of a Language – Melvin Bragg(non-fiction, re-read for the 312th time) ***1/2 (Feb 09)

5. Vet in a Spin – James Herriot (non-fiction, memoir, re-read) **** (Feb 09)

6. Let Sleeping Dogs Lie – James Herriot (non-fiction, memoir, re-read) ***1/2 (Feb 09)

7. Various Flavours of Coffee – Anthony Capella (fiction, library find) ***1/2 (Feb 09)

8. How to help you child read & write – Dr Dominic Wyse (non-fiction, library find) *** (Feb 09)

9. Before I Wake – John Scott (fiction, library find) (in progress, contemplating giving up!)

10. From Here to Maternity – Sinead Moriarty (fiction, chick-lit, library find) **** (March 09)

11. Dog Stories – James Herriot (non-fiction, memoirs, re-read) *** (March 09)

12. The Planets – Dava Sobel (non-fiction, astronomy, new/gift) **** (March 09)

13. Creative Play for Your Baby – Christopher Clouder & Janni Nicol (non-fiction, Steiner based play & craft, new) ***** (March 09)

14. The Writing Class – Jincy Willitt (fiction, light crime/homour, library find) **** (April 09)

15. Australia Street – Ann Whitehead (fiction, drama, library find) **** (April 09)

16. Behind the Bestsellers – Jenny Bond & Chris Sheedy (non-fiction, literature history, library find) ****1/2 (April 09)

17. But Wait, There’s More… – Robert Crawford (non-fiction, advertising, library find) ** (April 09)

18. Sacred Influence – Gary Thomas (non-fiction, Christian marriage, from my neglected collection) **** (April 09)

19. Princesses and Po.rn$tars – Emily McIntyre (non-fiction, modern feminism, library find) **** (May 09)

20. Wings above Billabong – Mary Grant Bruce (fiction, childrens/young teens fiction, well-read favourite) **** (May 09)

21. We Need to Talk About Kevin – Lionel Shriver (fiction, drama, library find)***1/2 (May 09)

22. The Pilot’s Wife – Anita Shreve (fiction, drama, library find) ****1/2 (May 09)

23. Double Fault – Lionel Shriver (fiction) **** (May 09)

24. The Last Time They Met – Anita Shreve (fiction) **** (June 09) 

25. Road to Paradise – Paullina Simons (fiction) ***1/2 (July 09)

26. Lessons in Heartbreak – Cathy Kelly (fiction) **** (July 09)

27. 1788 – David Hill (nonfiction, Australian History) ***(Aug 09)

28. Blue Paws – Matt McCredie (nonfiction, police dog memoirs) ***1/2 (Aug 09)

{I am a German Shepard owner & lover, so this was a great book to see behind the life of a working dog. A bit sad in parts, but I’m still cracking up at the mental image of a large Alsatian laying on a bed, on his back, paws straight up in the air. Classic!}

29. The No-Cry Sleep Solution – Elizabeth Pantley (nonfiction, attachment parenting) ****1/2 (Aug 09)

{Yep, we have sleep issues. And no, I am not going to let my 11-month-old cry/scream himself to sleep. Awesome book that helps to encourage non-sleeping babies to sleep, with absolutely no controlled crying or the like.  Chubba Bubba still doesn’t sleep through the night, but he is a lot easier to settle. I feel like we are making progress. Great read for all mummies!}

30. Where to now? Lots to choose from. Watch this space!

 

Holiday mini scrapbook

Yep, I’m slack. But I have been working like crazy, and unfortunately, with the amount of work I’ve had, something had to give. And despite wishing the housework would disappear, it didn’t. Leaving my creating and blogging being the only area I could really afford to cut back on.

 

But, before the proverbial hit the fan, we went on holidays. To the beach. Headed north for the winter, to milder climes, hoping to defrost, just a little. The mornings were spent cruising the beach, building sandcastles, sampling the local cafes, playing games. The afternoons, with two little boys tucked up in their beds, I would grab my memory cards and hit the streets. A quick stop at the nearest printers, a quiet coffee while I waited, then back to the apartment, where’d I’d pass a lazy hour or so scrapping the previous 24 hours activities. All I had to do when I got home was to make a cover for the book, and all our holiday snaps were in an album, no fuss, no stress, no procrastinating!

 

My little 6×6inch book was bulging by the end of the week – 160photos, plus scrapped pages, index card with notes, brochures and souveniers – it’s very full!

 

I was chuffed to come across this gorgeous paper – to me it seemed to hum with the essence of a winter beach escape – the blue, teal and yellow sang of the beach, and yet with the brown, their muted tones whispered that it wasn’t quite swimming weather yet.

 

And a couple of layouts – luckily my simple style was easy to downsize to the half size pages, so I didn’t need to think too much, or spend a heap of time on each page.

 

Today is a bit of a catch-up day. Boring stuff, mainly. Plus some fun stuff. Making honey crackles. Enjoying the warm sunshine. Catching up with friends, and dear little babies. Dreaming big. Planning projects.  Nursing slepy babies and cuddling active toddlers. Eating jelly beans. Living, loving, laughing. Enjoying a beautiful Monday and cherising possibility. Happy Monday everyone!

 

Reading again…

Another wonderful morning of outside fun in the warm winter sunshine is taking it’s toll on two small boys, and I can hear them in their beds, winding down towards nap times. The toddler is contentedly dozing after a lunhc-related tantrum. The baby, standing up in his cot protesting the unfairness of it all.

 

With the warmer weather has come a chance to get messy outside. We’ve sandpitted. We’ve swung. We’ve made fingerpaint & made some lovely paintings. We’ve run. We’ve danced. We’ve sung. We’ve been enjoying the beauty of life. Lots of posts to come, if only I can find the time!

 

In amongst all the greatness of the last fews days has been the completion of book #27…

 

1. The Great Gatsby – F Scott Fitzgerald (fiction, opshop find) *** (Jan 09)

2. Fishing for Stars – Bryce Courtney (fiction, new/gift) ***1/2 (Jan 09)

3. The Time Travellers Wife – Audrey Niffenegger (fiction, re-read for the 736th time) ****1/2 (Feb 09)

4. The Adventure of English:A biography of a Language – Melvin Bragg(non-fiction, re-read for the 312th time) ***1/2 (Feb 09)

5. Vet in a Spin – James Herriot (non-fiction, memoir, re-read) **** (Feb 09)

6. Let Sleeping Dogs Lie – James Herriot (non-fiction, memoir, re-read) ***1/2 (Feb 09)

7. Various Flavours of Coffee – Anthony Capella (fiction, library find) ***1/2 (Feb 09)

8. How to help you child read & write – Dr Dominic Wyse (non-fiction, library find) *** (Feb 09)

9. Before I Wake – John Scott (fiction, library find) (in progress, contemplating giving up!)

10. From Here to Maternity – Sinead Moriarty (fiction, chick-lit, library find) **** (March 09)

11. Dog Stories – James Herriot (non-fiction, memoirs, re-read) *** (March 09)

12. The Planets – Dava Sobel (non-fiction, astronomy, new/gift) **** (March 09)

13. Creative Play for Your Baby – Christopher Clouder & Janni Nicol (non-fiction, Steiner based play & craft, new) ***** (March 09)

14. The Writing Class – Jincy Willitt (fiction, light crime/homour, library find) **** (April 09)

15. Australia Street – Ann Whitehead (fiction, drama, library find) **** (April 09)

16. Behind the Bestsellers – Jenny Bond & Chris Sheedy (non-fiction, literature history, library find) ****1/2 (April 09)

17. But Wait, There’s More… – Robert Crawford (non-fiction, advertising, library find) ** (April 09)

18. Sacred Influence – Gary Thomas (non-fiction, Christian marriage, from my neglected collection) **** (April 09)

19. Princesses and Po.rn$tars – Emily McIntyre (non-fiction, modern feminism, library find) **** (May 09)

20. Wings above Billabong – Mary Grant Bruce (fiction, childrens/young teens fiction, well-read favourite) **** (May 09)

21. We Need to Talk About Kevin – Lionel Shriver (fiction, drama, library find)***1/2 (May 09)

22. The Pilot’s Wife – Anita Shreve (fiction, drama, library find) ****1/2 (May 09)

23. Double Fault – Lionel Shriver (fiction) **** (May 09)

24. The Last Time They Met – Anita Shreve (fiction) **** (June 09) 

25. Road to Paradise – Paullina Simons (fiction) ***1/2 (July 09)

26. Lessons in Heartbreak – Cathy Kelly (fiction) **** (July 09)

27. 1788 – David Hill (nonfiction, Australian History) ***(Aug 09)

   The good bits: Interesting to look at the conditions of the First Fleet while sailing, and the struggle they had when they first arrived. Lots of trivia that I wasn’t aware of (such as the ships zig-zagging across the Atlantic – England to South America to Africa – why???)

  The “What About” bits: While the book discussed “Bennelong” & a couple of other “important” Aboriginal people, there wasn’t really a great deal of detail regarding the clash of cultures, other than a government decree for amicable co-existance, that relations between the two races were deteriorating, or that they decided to kidnap a couple of men (such as Bennelong). Maybe there was nothing to tell at that point (only covered the few 3-5 years of settlement, so both were simply avoiding the other?), maybe the records fail to give information? I’m not sure, but on a good note, it has inspired me to do some further research.

 

  The not-so-good parts: None really, though it could be a bit dry in parts. All in all, a good read, that refreshed my knowledge of early European/Australian history, and has piqued my curiousity to learn more.

 

Have a great weekend everyone!