every day in may - or not

This is the bunting I made and the stamp I cut to stamp the bunting I made.

When my book comes out in August, hopefully some book shops will hang this stamped bunting in their windows as a display.

My book!! Oh my gosh! Did you see I put a little pic of the cover over there on my side bar. Eeeeeep!!

This is the wool I was lucky enough to win in Little Woollie Jules's giveaway to celebrate the opening of her online store. Thanks Jules!! 

Delicious and soft and squishy and waiting patiently for the perfect project. Six 50gm balls, any suggestions?

This is the show-off autumn kissed grapevine on the front side of our house. The back-side (ha!) grapevine gets less sun and is yellow. 

This is about 30 or 40 rows of this brilliant idea I had that is never going to happen. Such a shame. A wide, loooooooong, grey scarf would be so useful and snuggly and cute. But realistically, 120 stitch rows of plain knit and plain purl are not so much fun. Unravel.

This is the state of our cubby so far. 

There'll be more tomorrow. @thebuilderrecycles (on instagram) is coming at 8am.

This was my attempt at a wintery colour palette blanket.

It hurts my eyes. Unravel.

These are the potatoes we picked last Friday.

This is the beanie I'm knitting for Pepper. I-cords and pom poms to go.

These are some of my kitchen garden tomatoes. With ten crates of green tomatoes in the loungeroom and a frost warning overnight, I had to say goodbye to these. I guess the chooks will love them.


It's funny, all week long I've been obsessively considering my every day in May project.

I've thought about walking every day, crocheting a square a day, knitting a square a day, making a pom pom a day, cooking a new recipe a day, reading a chapter a day, writing a blog post a day, naming something I am grateful for each day, doing something different with apples every day, taking a bag to the op-shop a day or doing some sort of photo challenge each day.

But late this afternoon, waaaaaay into the first day of May, I admitted defeat. For some reason I am just too crazy busy this May. Between the book stuff and the preserving stuff and the home stuff and the mothering stuff, there is just no room to take on another project. I have no idea how it is possible that with three at school this year I am still busier than last year, but I am. Either that or just more realistic.

I adored last year's motif a day in May and the May two years before that. I loved choosing the pattern, finding the cotton, hooking each square and watching the pile of finished motifs grow.

Hopefully I'll be back on board next year.

Hopefully I'll stick to this decision and not freak out and rush off to make a square as soon as I've pressed publish on this post. Hopefully.

So what are you up to over there?
Are you busier this year than last?
Are you making every day in May?
Or are you too tired by the end of the day?
Oh and if I disable anonymous comments is that going to worry you?

Bye!

Count down til caravan.

Most of the time it feels as if we aren't going anywhere and that this winter is going to last forever. Same, same, cold, muddy, same, same... The truth is though that time is marching along rapidly and we will be outta here before we know it.

There have already been a couple of lasts and there are lots and lots of count downs going on. Last time I see my folks, nine more school days, nine more school lunches, one more pilates class, two more bush kinders, two more dancing classes...

And even though it feel like I am going about my normal routine, the extra things are different. I am putting clothes and towels aside, there is a car fridge in the lounge room, a monster truck in the garage, I am sewing madly and Farmer Bren is welding and measuring and painting.

This morning when Miss Pepper told me she doesn't like it when daddy is away because we are always rushing and I get grumpy, I didn't feel so guilty because I know that there will be a time soon when I wont rush and I'll have no reason to feel late and grumpy.

In fact, I think the main reason I want to go on this trip is to stop the clock. To slow down. To stop ticking things off my never ending list and to stop rushing my days away. To live in my body and not so much in my head. And to be here and now.

There are a gazillion reasons of course but that's possibly the biggest.

Another reason is of course the styling of the caravan. It's like a big girl's cubby house.

So far I've made Miss Jazzy's and Miss Pepper's doona covers and I'm now working on ours.

And look what arrived in the mail this morning from the super talented Chantal. Is it wrong that I'm more excited about this stamp than the roof racks and tow bar and cargo barriers my Farmer boy just got fitted?

I can hardy wait to start stamping that snail mail.

I hope your Monday is a funday people. x

Stuff I now know.

Over the last 24 hours I have learnt that my sewing with knit fabrics phobia was completely unfounded. I haven't had a chance to hem this little dress yet, but so far it has been easy peasy mageasy.

I have also learnt that it is a good thing that I am a fabric hoarder because as soon as the knit fabric sewing urge struck, I was prepared with a whole stack of thrifted knits.

I have learnt that even though I say out loud to anyone who will listen that I am not going to buy ANY yarn when I enter a shop, usually I will still buy yarn.

I have learnt how to add text to my photos in picnik, but I have yet to learn how to get my photos out of picnik and onto my desktop.

Apologies to everyone who clicked on my post this morning only to discover that it wasn't there. Apparently, when you publish a flickr photo on your blog it means it will publish a post for you then and there.

Thank you so much to everyone who emailed me to let me know. And yes, although I can somehow work this blog, I am still technologically and computerally illiterate.

I have learnt that fresh apple muffins for breakfast makes an everyday day feel like a party.

I have learnt that sometimes the simplest inventions are the most ingenious.

That little yellow thing pulls the elastic through the hem line of a garment rather than a stupid safety pin. That clever yellow thing wont catch, or open, or bend or tear your fabric. Brilliant!

I have learnt that sometimes when you ask the op shop fairies for something specific, they deliver. A stack of fancy little cards for 40cents. Hooray!

I have learnt that I must ALWAYS measure and pin.

I have learnt that you are meant to change the needle on your sewing machine and over locker after every eight hours of sewing...hmmmm I guess about three months is a bit too long.

And I have learnt that no matter how well prepared for something you are, sometimes it takes you by surprise and feels a little sad.

What have you learnt lately?

Bye bye. xx

Stamp-a-licious.

So I'd love it if you could turn to the closest person over the age of about six and ask them if they collect stamps...if the answer is YES, then stamp on their foot and tell them 'there's one for your collection'. If they say NO, then stamp on their foot and tell them 'there's one to start your collection'.

Can you tell we're on school holidays?!

Can you tell I'm over the moon excited about my new Foxs Lane stamps?!

Chantal made them. Isn't she the cleverest. Aren't they amazing. How cool that she made me a summer and a winter dress. And they look like the dresses I make, down to the ruffles and florals and the granny pockets. I am now prepared for all seasons. Love!

I think I'd better put aside some time to sew some stock for my shop, so I can package up my orders and decorate them with my new stamps. Eeeeeeeeep I can hardly wait.

Chantal has an Etsy store here and you can contact her at chantal_j@hotmail.com if you want her to make her your own custom made stamp like I did. And you totally should, they are so ace.

And yesterday, being the school holidays and all, I took my three girlies to the movies and to buy some essentials in town. When we got out of the car I realised that we all had the same shoes on. Is that ok? As the official style police of this family I have decided that it is. Especially as they are all same, same but different. But I draw the line at that. NO matching hoodies, or t'shirts or anything else for that matter.

Do you do that, dress your kids the same as you? Do you all have the same look? Farmer Bren does have his own pair of Converse too, just in case you were wondering.

I think my family have a look. We like layers. Dresses and skirts and tops and tunics and cardis over jeans. Most of the time Jazzy and Pepper and I dress like that, although they are all colourful and I am not. Indi does too but with her own type of skater girl edge. I guess we all fit together.

So a very happy Thursday to you my online friends. Thank you so much for your comments on my last post. I found them so interesting to read and think about.

Bye for now. X