snap it {three}

My three favourite people

in three photos

whilst on our recent holiday

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snap it {colourful}

What could be more colourful that flowers at Spring time...and there is no better indication of spring than the blossoms.  Taken a few weekends back when my neighbours tree was full of these delightfully pink blooms, one gust of Melbourne wind however is all they need to flitter off into the sky and litter the grass and street like confetti at a wedding.

join in with your colourful snap here...

His story

It's been a while now since I've wanted to publish this post. It's been sitting in draft, but now I feel it's a good time to share it.  A journey that is close to my heart and a story that should be told, celebrated and used to inspire.

This journey is not my own, but I was honoured to be a part of it; a player, a contributor but not the lead role.  That honour goes to my husband.

This is his journey.  A journey that started about five years ago.

I noticed a change, ever so subtle at first, but a change non the less.  Sure our first born was about 18 months and I was newly pregnant with our second child, but I was still in tune with my husband enough to know that something was amiss.

At first he couldn't put his finger on it, but he felt agitated, restless and annoyed.  mostly at work.  He liked his job, but he no longer loved it, and his boss and the directors kept letting him down by saying he had good ideas to move the company forward but quite frankly they didn't want to explore them.

I kept asking him if he wanted to go out on his own.  quit his job and be his own boss.

Yeah. newly renovated home.  mortgage. one income.  not likely.

But I persisted with my idea, because I knew deep down his ideas were amazing, well thought out, niche business services that no one else was doing.   He had the skills, he just needed the confidence.   At first he thought he could wait until our kids were older and I could contribute financially to our income, not burdening his new business with such financial pressure.  I was sceptical he could hold out that long as I could see the agony in his face as he trod off to work each morning.  And honestly his ideas were so good it was only a matter of time before someone else got in first.  There were a million reasons not to give it a go, and only a few to take a leap of faith and do it.

After our second child was born, I sat him down and said "you are miserable, you hate your job.  quit now and start your own business. We will manage and you will succeed." 

He wrote a business plan and quietly worked on it for the next few months.  We talked and talked and crunched numbers all day everyday.  When our baby daughter was three months old on Christmas Eve in 2008 he quit his job.  It was then that the Global Financial Crisis hit.  Great!  But that did not deter my husband.  He developed this no fear attitude. We never took out a business loan or overdraft.  It was just all hard work, late nights, finding the right clients and getting the job done no matter what. We adjusted to living without the security of a weekly wage, but getting at first invoice out, paid and in our account was pure sweet relief.  As time went on my husbands confidence grew, failure was not an option and as he would say he had 'the eye of the tiger'.  This was one fight he was going to be victorious.

For the next six months he worked out of the spare room of our house on a table from the op shop,  whilst I cared for our two kids at home also.  There were times I had to leave the house just so my husband could make a conference call without hearing kids screaming in the background.  Meetings were scheduled at a local cafe.   Now that seems like such a distant memory.


Flash forward to 2012 and my husband has three subsidiary businesses, employs 11 staff, and best of all is loving what he does.  I often forget the journey that he took...the sacrifices we made, the risk of losing it all.  But he did it.  Sometimes he muses that the fact that we did it at such a tough time was part of the reason why his business was successful.  There was simply no other option.

I am so proud and this journey he let me be apart of will a special story I will never tire of telling.

x

fit for a fairy

A little friend had a wee little fairy party this morning.  The gift of course had to have a handmade element.  Me and my little fairy apprentice, set to work selecting some fabric from my stash for a lovely twirl-able skirt and with a little matching appliquéd tee we were sure we had an outift fit for any fairy.

It set of our own bit of fairy dancing.

Happy Friday to you all...where do all the weeks go?

xx

way beautiful day

When it's a sunny bright day, my kids deem it a "way beautiful day"-  It's there way of saying it's going to a great weather and well, it's stuck and we all use that saying now.  Today is no exception.  It's a way beautiful day.  It was spent outside with friends, soaking up some vitamin D, sharing baked lemon brownies, enjoying treats dropped off by delightful neighbours, picking flowers, napping and reading, planning for new adventures.

Enjoying this way beautiful day!
What's your perfect way to enjoy a bright sunshiney day?

xx

Read, reading, next {investment effect}

Source: imgfave.tumblr.com via Paige on Pinterest

What do you do when you start reading a book and it's a bit of a flop? Or not as good as you hoped...?  How much time do you invest before deciding if you'll finish it or toss it for something else?  I don't often not finish a book I start.  But then at the same time, what's the point when for me, reading is enjoyment and a bit of selfish me time that quite literally I don't have to waste...so a dull book, no thanks!

I did leave a book unread last week.  I may go back to it - I may not. I hadn't invested that much into it, and I wasn't getting any exciting vibes and it didn't help that two independent sources gave me rather realistic views that it didn't get any more exciting or gripping or that thrill that makes you want to pick it up and read it.  May be it didn't help that I started reading this, after claiming my previous book as my read of the year....it had big boots to fill!  So it's back on the shelf... but here are some books I have read, am currently reading and are on my list....

Read ....

Overseas by Beatriz Williams.  Oh my!  A lovely, sweet, beautifully written storey of romance, history and with a twist of time travel thrown in for good measure it was a delight to read and at time I found myself still reading at 2am (sign of good book yes?)...so this book at the moment has been my read of the year. 

Reading....

Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald.  A great classic.  I cannot recall how many times I've started this book but not finished it. Not because I ddin't like it, but once I think I lost it...then I forgot whilst on away for the weekend and another book took it's place each time.  Finally I'm determined to finish it.  The movie has been made!  Leo as the Great Gastby himself...so I'm intrigued to see this novel transition to the big screeen and I'm loving all the snippets we are getting of the costumes that made that era so enviable!  Can't wait..

Next....

Last letter from my lover..Jojo Moyes.  I've read a book already by this author and that's one of the reasons why this is on my list.  Set back in the 1960's two lovers write letters to one another...and then they are found in 2008 by a journalist and she embarks on a mission to find out whether or not they lived happily ever after. 

What's on your list and do you suffer from the Investment effect?  How much do you invest in a book before you decide to go on or leave it for another? 

my creative space {market prep}

With a market on next week I've been spending quite a bit of time adding to my pile of stock....just a few bits and bobs here and there.  It's nice to add new things, but it's also nice to keep the regular stuff up to date and fresh.  These little booties are the result of too many off cuts of fabric and the need to provide for those with feet small enough to fit into them.  I just need to finish off the boys booties but these girls ones are looking rather colourful for the start of Spring!

Then there will be usual preparation that goes with all markets...the table, props, a float and this time some assistance in organising as it's to raise money for our local kindergarten.  I'll be joined by some friends that craft as well, so if your free on Wednesday night the 12th of September come and visit from 6.30 - 9.30 at The Neighbourhood Facility in Prospect Street, Pascoe Vale South.

How do you prepare for an upcoming market?  Slow and steady or full steam ahead on those last few days before hand?

Join in a whole online market full of creative types at Village Voices

Snap it {Shiny}

Of all the things I love about my house, it's the morning sun shining in.  I know it really isn't much to with my house per say, maybe it's the position of it but getting a glimpse of sun rays shining through the living room and kitchen windows and over the neighbours big tree is a great way to start the day.

Taken on Instagram a few days a go when the sun was shining oh so bright and people were smiling and cheerful!  Do you think the sunshine makes people happier?

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flying high

As the sun shines, the flower buds glitter, the warm freeze sweeps across my face blowing my hair in every direction.  Yes. Spring is here.  Finally.  It's time to throw open the windows and doors, adorn tables full of blooms and hang washing on the line (knowing it will dry!).

A collection of a few aprons made for a special customer.  My grandmother is heading back to her home country of Italy for a short visit.  She requested my help of making her sisters and other relatives some special Australian gifts. So I hunted out some aboriginal fabric at GJ's and  we spent the day together sewing, cutting and ironing, chatting, eating and laughing.  We made twelve of these gorgeous aprons and later on with the left over fabric I made her some key fobs which will be good for extra friends she finds along on her travels.

You may remember the last time I made so many aprons en masse - it seems like the perfect gift for an Italian Nonna!  And I could not resist hanging a few up on such a beautiful day to watch them flap about in the breeze....

And to my Nonna....travel safe and have fun!

xx