Ikea craft room storage

I have discovered mod podge!

We bought one of these on our Ikea jaunt the other day since I have all sorts of odds and ends in my craft room that need to be tidied away.

After a quick rifle through my collection of scrapbooking paper (which I totally used to love doing and I have such a collection of scrapbookingy type things but now I find it a bit blah, they are all hidden in this massive plastic crate taunting me and driving my husband bonkers!) I have ended up with this!

Much better, yes?  Do you mod podge? 

Thinking I might try these this next... 

Source: hostessblog.com via Sonia on Pinterest

Well and truly over the rainbow!

Once upon a time, I pinned this image...

Source: ohdeedoh.com via Sonia on Pinterest

I was planning Matilda's rainbow party and of course anything that looked remotely rainbowish had me at hello!  Of course, I never actually did it as I had so much else going on at that party, the fruit got left by the wayside. 

 

Since then, everytime someone repins it from my pinterest page I get an email notification.  All fine and dandy really as they normally only come through occasionally.  I am not very pinteresting.  Until the other day when I opened up my email and had hundreds of notifications racing into my inbox.  So far it has been liked 456 times and repinned 2648!!!!!  Seriously, is it really that exciting!?

 

Needless to say I have changed my pinterest email notifications!

You, again.

Me, again. 

With my unmade bed in the background on one side and my daughter sitting on the loo on the other.  (On a side note, we are having so much trouble getting her into knickers.  She is in a panic most of the day about wetting herself and will sit on the loo or the potty for hours at a time if we let her!  What to do, what to do????)

This is it by the way.  The last of Fatmumslim's January Photo a Day Challenge.

I had fun doing it but I am not sure I could sustain it much longer.  I think I need bettter photography skills!

Nature.

That's a bit desperate of me isn't it - a lonely dandy on my front lawn.  But I was late with this one and panicked!

part of fatmumslim's photo a day challenge

Roarrrrr!

This is the current state of my nails!  Do you love them?  I do!

My husband thinks they are crossing into the the tacky side but I cannot count the amount of comments I got over the course of the weekend whilst I was at work.

They are Sally Hansen Real Nail Polish Strips and they come in all sorts of fancy designs.  I just picked mine up on special from Target the other day.  They are nice answer to time poor people who's children are on school holidays and who have had no time to scratch themselves, let alone schedule a nice manicure or pedicure!

Inside your fridge.

Clearly this is the bar fridge.  The normal one may have more real food in it.  Maybe.

part of fatmumslim's photo a day challenge

Light.

Why, yes, it is a lamp with babushka's all around it! 

part of fatmumslim's photo a day challenge : only three days to go!!!

Lunch.

Coffee, toasted ham and cheese and my kindle (reading Water for Elephants at the moment and so far it is much better than the movie!).  Bit boring I know, but when someone else makes it for you, it tastes twice as good!

part of fatmumslim's photo a day challenge

Colour.

Colour.  On my crochet tissue box. 

Have I taken the crochet too far?

part of fatmumslim's photo a day challenge

Cripes! That's a lot of Stripes!

So I have this rocking chair in my bedroom...

...which you normally cannot see since it is piled so high with clothing that I am too lazy to put away!  Generally, it is all clean and folded and comes here straight from the washing pile. I find that because it ends up consisting of all the things I am currently wearing, it's easier to delve into the 'chair' rather than my actual wardrobe.

Please comfort me and tell me you have a similar spot??!!

As I was sorting and cleaning this morning and (hiding from my children!!!!) endeavouring to put things back where they should go, I discovered a disturbing habit...

...clearly I like stripes... blue ones mostly!  And in fact, this is not all of them!  I may have one or two other stripey things in my wardrobe and a stripey maxi dress I wore yesterday that's in the washing basket.  I dont know how I managed to buy the red one in there, praps in didn't come in blue!  And dont you love that I also go blue and stripey in my boring knickers too!

Tell me, do you have a theme in your wardrobe????

And yes, I am wearing stripes today.

Something I made.

A crochet cushion top.  Now I just have to make the other side!  I have used all my lonely bits of left over yarn from other projects on this so there is quite the mixture of different yarns in there but it appears to have worked out alright.  Think I might just do one big granny square for the back though.  I planning on gifting this to someone for the birthday - dorky or no?  I never really have faith in my crafty projects so always wonder whether the reciever might open it and say thankyou but then laugh hysterically after I leave and hide it in the cupboard for all eternity! 

For any interested crochet-ers, this is the pattern from the second edition of Mollie Makes magazine.

part of fatmumslim's photo a day challenge

Guilty pleasure.

Coffee, cake and my Google Reader. 

part of fatmumslim's photo a day challenge

Something old.

This is my husband's nanna's butter stamp - you know, from the days of yore when one would churn your own butter and stamp it! 

When Delma passed away some things which were headed for the trash (gasp!) ended up in my posession, like this sweet stamp and some doilies.

part of fatmumslim's photo a day challenge

Your shoes.

Can you see I am a little bit obsessed with Keds wedges? 

I could go on forever about how comfy they are.

part of fatmumslim's photo a day challenge

Reflection.

Yes, they are babushka's on my phone.  And around my neck.  And in the background, on the windowsill and the shelf.  Obsessed I tell you.  Obsessed.

part of fatmumslim's photo a day challenge

52 weeks of Grateful: Week 3

This week I am grateful my husband has come home a little earlier each night. 

I am grateful he sensed my school holiday patience was wearing thin. 

 I am grateful that after seeing Alvin and the Chipmunks - Chipwrecked, I was able to spread the word to my closest girlfriends about how appallingly bad that movie is, saving them from the hour and half of ear splitting pain I was forced to sit through. 

I am grateful that emergency medical clinics exist, apparently for my small girls benefit only, since we have needed them two weeks in row now - head injuries, slap cheek, legos in nostrils!

I am grateful that wine exists, that trackpants exist, that early bedtimes exist!

I am grateful that even though I sound a little whiny this week, I know you will forgive me cause I can't be the only one ready for school to return!

What are you feeling grateful for this week?
Join in with Maxabella loves... and Kidspot.

And since I can't leave you without a pretty picture...

...just some squares to improve my mood this Friday evening.

Parenting Milestones

"I spy with my little eye something begging with L"

How did I possibly manage to survive two boy children, both of whom never put anything where it didn't belong, only to have the girl child stick lego up her nostril! 

One quick trip to the doctor later and the offending piece has been tweezered out and a certain young lady is swearing and declaring she didn't put it up there, that it must have been her brother's!!!!  So not only is she a lego snorter, she is a fibber too!

I hereby retract my previous post about poor Isaac being Trouble and re-label this one with the title!

Someone you love.

Isaac Thomas.

I love you even though you are Trouble.  I love you even though everthing that comes out of your mouth relates directly to toilet humour.  I love you even though you throw The Best Tantrums in Big W.  I love you even though you get up eleventy times EVERY NIGHT with various sore limbs, sore tummies and sore brains.

You are the middle child, the funny one, the creative, clever, cuddly one. 

You are someone I love.

part of fatmumslim's photo a day challenge

Pride and Prejudice

Can you guess what I have finished reading???  I can't believe that I haven't read it until now.  I loved it.  LOVED it!  In fact, I ordered the BBC series on DVD this afternoon since I am full of Jane Austen love right now.



I have seen the Keira Knightly version but did not love it half as much the BBC series.  Although Mr Darcy is still quite the spunk.

I think I shall move onto Emma now.  What say you?

Sweet.

Sibling love. 

Three year old Matilda is totally the boss here and has her 7 year old brother Oscar wrapped around her little finger.  She can have him drop to the floor meowing like a cat in seconds, piggybacking her around the house cause her legs are tired, or totally changing Ben 10 to Playschool on the tv just to keep her smiling.

part of fatmumslim's photo a day challenge

Something you bought.

Lego stationary from Big W if anyone else has lego obesessed small people out there!  At the moment, it is mostly earmarked for birthday presents but one or two items are purely for bribery purposes!

part of fatmumslim's photo a day challenge

Water.

Our pool.  Where I will be floating for most of our 35 degree day today. 

part of fatmumslim's photo a day challenge.

Granny Square Love

My, oh my. 

The things we spy when we should have gone to bed hours ago but are so enjoying the peace and quiet of a late night household where every one is asleep but you.  The minutes pass by before you know it.

image 

image

Golly gosh.  It would appear that the wee wooden granny square brooch is on special too!  Shall I be forced into some late night shopping do you think?



Morning.

Sunshine shadows on my kitchen floor.  And of course, my babushka pjs.  And my dire need for a pedicure.  Which might require me to be without children for five minutes.  Which is unlikely to happen.

Whoops.  Off on a tangent.  Am ready for the return to school!

part of fatmumslim's photo a day challenge

Happiness.

This has to be the best and the happiest time of the day.  Quite, calm small people, clean and freshly pj'd, in bed and listening to bedtime stories.

Agreed?

part of fatmumslim's photo a day challenge

Something you're reading.

I love my kindle.  Love it.

I'm reading Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey at the moment.  And have about 20 other's in there too ready to go.  Now if I could only find more time.

part of fatmumslim's photo a day challenge

52 Weeks of Grateful - Week 2

Oh, I love the Nespresso!  Those bothersome and pesky children on holidays have been hampering my coffee shop style, forcing me to partake...GASP, my coffee in my own house!

I am grateful for coffee's ability to pick me up, wake me up, warm me up, keep me regular, fill me up, stop a headache,give me strength, give me patience, give me the energy to drag this around the block all the while pushing another up hills that their little legs can't manage...

What are you feeling grateful for this week?
Play along with Maxabella loves and Kidspot.

 

In your bag.

I tend to carry far more than I ever need.  But the day I take things out and try to downsize, that will totally be the day I need them!

And since I just found a hole in the lining of my bag as I was taking everything out, I guess a new bag might be in order!

part of fatmumslim's photo a day challenge

Close-up.

My current crochet project.  Making squares out of left over bits of yarn.  Hopefully for a giant floor cushion to gift to someone.  We'll see.

part of fatmumslim's photo a day challenge

Where you sleep.

Lucky it's king size really.  We generally get one, if not two visitors every night.  So, where do I sleep?  Generally curled on my side, right on the very edge, tense all night for fear I'll suddenly fall right out!

part of fatmumslim's photo a day challenge

My creative space...

I am addicted to skirt and dress making at the moment, not that my small girl needs any more clothes!  Once the small people go to bed, I am at the sewing machine churning out these little numbers...

Oliver and S Lazy Days Skirt

This is a free pattern and is super easy and quick to make up.  As this is a gift for a little girls first birthday this weekend, I like to turn it into an outfit by matching the skirt with a tshirt.

Not the best picture, but I just buy plain white tshirts from Target, Big W or Best and Less.  They are only a few dollars and can be prettied up to match your skirt with some yoyo's in the same fabric or these sweet iron on images.  These cute babushkas are from my local Spotlight (as is the pretty, green floral fabric - a bargain at only $5.99 a metre!)

I've also had this divine fabric in my cupboard, reluctant to cut into it because I didn't want to stuff it up on something that would look silly and I only bought a metre of it and I have never seen in again (Spotlight purchase)!

Whilst hanging around on Pinterest the other night, I came across this link and knew the material would be perfect for it!

 I even had enough fabric to make two dresses - one for Matilda and one for her little friend.

I did make some minor modifications to the pattern.  I have not used the elastic in the rolled down chest or back area, and I also deepened the arm holes (just by laying down a sleeveless dress of Matilda's on the pattern and following that line - image below) as I was worried about how roomy it might be.  I clearly didn't use bias binding on the arm holes either (but only cause I didn't have any in the colour I wanted).  I simply folded the arm hole edge over and zigzagged stitched it.  Because of this, I have threaded the ribbon through the gap where the elastic would have gone and tied it on one shoulder only.

The pattern is really user friendly and easy to modify too.  The first one I made was good, but I wanted more length in the one Matilda will wear so I just added an extra couple of inches.  I also tried the dress on a visiting friend's seven year old and it fit her perfectly as a top! 

I am totes going to try and have a handmade year this year present wise!  We shall see how that goes for me!



Childhood.

It's all about lego.  Especially during school holidays.

part of fatmumslim's photo a day challenge

52 weeks of grateful - week 1.

I'm late for this but I totally didn't want to miss out!

The beautiful Bron at Maxabella loves... is doing her grateful linky again this year.  Kidspot saw her fabulousness and have decided to run the link from their page this year as 52 weeks of grateful.

This week I'm grateful for my job.  Post Christmas has been a wee bit quiet since all anyone wants to spend money on now are school shoes and school stationary.  But that's totally fine by me.  I work with a bunch of lovely ladies and since most of my shifts are of the evening variety it means I totally get to miss out on feeding hour at the zoo!  And if you click on that link and watch that short and sweet movie, you'd totally be grateful for that too!!!



Daily routine.

If it's not in the diary, it does not exist!!!

part of fatmumslim's photo a day challenge

Your sky.

Melbourne sky, you don't know what you are doing with yourself today.  Rain, sunshine, wind... make up your mind!

part of fatmumslim's photo a day challenge

Favourite.

Favourite???

The answer is always chocolate!  Even if it's only the secret stash of cooking chocolate hidden in the back of the pantry for an emergency.  I, of course, would rather be eating a giant never ending bag of m&ms but a woman's gotta do what a woman's gotta do!

part of fatmumslim's photo a day challenge