30/52

30/52 - A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, for a year

J - His "angry/happy" eyes 

M - "mum, I just want to watch the water" 

Linking up with Jodi @ Che & Fidel 

xx

Sydney, you sneaky city

We're here!  Our family road trip to Sydney...and we've hit the ground running...!  Planning to get as much done in our short stay here and already our memories are bursting on our first full day in this glorious city.  I must confess something though first....I wasn't "excited" about coming to Sydney as I should have been...I mean, I was excited we were all packing our bags and heading off on a family adventure but perhaps I didn't really stop to think about any excitement I had for actual Sydney....

But now that I am here...well, Sydney...what can I say!  You are one mighty fine city!  I have just been wandering around all day with my mouth agape like one of those clown games at Luna Park that you stick the ping pong balls down their gob.  My neck is turning this way and that...and that jaw just drops at every imaginable beauty.   Today we headed off on the ferry to Manly...such a gorgeous place!  We spent most of the day there...walking along the beach, enjoying the amazingly mild winter sunshine that had us Melbournians stripping down to t-shirts! An amble around the Opera House with a well earned beer along open air bar sitting back and watching the view.

Seriously Sydney...you are capturing my heart....one beat at a time!

29/52

A Portrait of my children once a week, every week, for a year

J - Still a little pensive when the camera comes out...

M - And this one tends to light up at the opportunity of a photo! 

Linking up with Jodi @ Che & Fidel 

xx

Sydney bound....

Yep...we're off on a family road trip next week.  Melbourne to Sydney....and we cannot wait! 

I'm busy planning how we can fill our days, what sights to see and also the usual organisation that goes with travelling with kids.  My kids are familiar with time on the road, however this will be our longest stint, although I do plan to break it up, stopping off and allowing the holiday begin before we reach our final destination.   I'll take the kids to Gundagai for the Dog on a Tuckerbox experience, and also the Big Marino somewhere on the way to Goulburn.   On the way home I hope to detour off the freeway and do the Grand Pacific Drive...Oh there is just so much I'm finding it's all to hard to choose! 

It's been over twenty years since I've been to sydney, so technically the last time I went I was the child being taken care of.  What to see and do?  I've got the classic opera house visit, harbour cruise (weather permitting) and a trip to a market planned but tell me...what should we do??  Where should we go??  Or better still, what should we avoid???  

Sydney here we come! 

xx

stash PART 2 - blue quilt

 In my efforts to de-stash the fabric stash...I made a conscious effort to cut with the procrastinating and get to it.  In other words....Commit and then Sew.  Sew. Like. A. Crazy. Women.

And thats what I did when I made this quilt.  It's totally not at all perfect and really, I used the wrong wadding, but in my attempt not to buy any more fabric during my sewing hiatus I didn't want to tempt fate by returning to a place dripping in fabric...so I stayed away from all stores fabric, notions and haberdashery!  I must say...initially there were withdrawals, but now I am totally at peace with my decision.  I'm looking at my stash in a complete different way.

I've made one of these quilts before...and I knew that if I was to embark again, I had to get it done and get it done fast.  I cut one day...started sewing squares the next, then rows, then joining rows and before I knew it the quilt top was done.  I made the binding (great use of fabric right there!) and, sat eagerly at night hand sewing it all together.   Before I knew it, it was draped over the couch and has pretty much stayed there and used for added warmth during these chilly nights since.

I still have a fair way to go through the stash, but it's nice to know that all these little fabric bits here and there have merged together to make a quilt for our family.

Part 1 here 

this week

Oh the school holidays....what fun!  No school lunches or remembering what happens on what day.  No surprise we spent most of our time near our soon to be abode, but all too soon it was over and the school term has resumed. ...

:: this week in photos ::

1.  House progress...the roof is on, and I may have just had one (or more) colour-bond moments like on the ad where I just stood and stared, marvelling in all that roof glory!
2. We enjoyed Salami Making Day over the school holidays....
3. Give a kid a go-cart and let them play...
4. Wet concrete...a small hand = lasting memory
5. Playing chasey with Nonno
6. Feeling right at home on the ride-on.

Hope you all enjoyed the school holidays....

Joining in with the lovely Em @ The Shack. 
xx

28/52

28/52 - a portrait of my children once a week every week for a year 

J - Oh dear...their is that teenage you again...and you're in the divers seat! 

M - Having some fun with dad in our soon to be backyard! 

Joining in with Jodi @ Che & Fidel 

xx

27/52

27/52 - A portrait of my children once a week every week for a year 

J - Gotcha!  Covert operation a success this week...

M - she calls it her window...that gap in her mouth where two baby teeth once were! 

was mesmerised by this portrait of a bloggers husband last week..such contrast and depth

linking in with Jodi @ Che & Fidel  

three / fifty-two

Project 52 

three favourite portraits so far 

J 

 6/52 intense younger you are 

15/52  playing with snails 

20/52 asking me questions whilst a plane flew overhead

M

2/52  the joker always making me laugh

19/52 such a sweet gaze 

20/52 yes, that is what we do with figs 

It was harder than I imagined selecting my favourite three.  Of course any parent would love each image of their own children.  I tried to select images I'm also happy with from a photographic perspective as well.  Images that I can appreciate the light, moment, composition and colour.  

Half way!  A wonderful project thanks to a wonderful host.  Thanks Jodi 

xx

Stash PART 1: spread your wings

A little while ago, whilst flittering away in my sewing room, drowning in what appeared to be way too much fabric, I made a little pledge to make and make and make and make....and not buy.  Yep, not to purchase any more fabric, until the fabric stash already in my possession was transformed into projects that they were destined to be when first brought home.

One such project I did not set out to make was an adorable owl costume for my daughter.  I blame Pinterest.  It really is a place of good and evil.  Mostly evil I dare say...all that pinning and not much actually following through with the actual making of anything pinned.   All those projects, recipes, tips for this, that, ones that inspire, ones that claim to get you looking fit in seven days*, and all quotes that make you jsut giggle.  But this costume was just the ticket for busting through some of that stash.  I cut out all the fabric one night, then it was sewn the next and enjoyed each day thereafter, it has been a joy to think that my cacophany of jumbled bits of fabric could result in such an eye-catching delight.

In an effort for more fabric stash project I can called this PART 1, I hope this will be one of many of the projects I share.

Do you have any projects that are good for a fabric collector?
Do you really make all that stuff you pin?



The inspiration and tutorial for this project came from here.

Last chance to enter my Bakers Delight Giveaway!


*If I'm going to pin fitness themed articles, then I must stop pinning cakes, brownies and nutella truffles!