Sep 30, 2011

Tomorrow's a new day...

Tomorrow is a new day... and I've decided that I really need to get more motivated and I desperately have been wanting to post a new tutorial - any tutorial... just something that might get the creativeness going again...

Let's see what tomorrow brings... and as I contemplate sleep for the night, I pledge to bring you a tutorial... tomorrow (mañana, mañana... it's what my husband is jokingly always saying to me!)

And no post is complete without a photo of two of my most favourite girls in the world.... (oh, and I snuck into the photo too... a bit of a rarity, I tell you!)


Cheers... and together let's see what tomorrow brings...

Sep 24, 2011

A hair cut that's been a long time coming...

I like long hair on my girls and loved every strand on their little heads! I held out for SOOOOO long but the time finally arrived for Big Little Miss M to have her FIRST EVER haircut. This was a big deal for me and her!

It only took 4 years, 2 months and 29 days to get there!

For such a while I'd lamented just how fine and whispy her hair was - especially every time I tied it back or tried an up-do, but at the same time I loved that it still felt like baby hair, had the most gorgeous blond sunbleached ends and even the very fact that not a single hair on her head had ever encountered a pair of scissors.

So, so many people had suggested that if I just cut or trimmed her hair that it would thicken up...

My big girl began asking about getting a haircut a couple of months ago... so after much to-ing and fro-ing,  and internal debate, out came the scissors and after a few before shots and a snip here and there my girl had had her very first ever haircut.

THE BEFORE (mug)SHOTS

She sat so still for me and in retrospect she was obviously a little nervous.

THE AFTER SHOTS

 Why do I think she was nervous? Well, because it was with typical childish innocence that after I made the first snip and proudly showed her the lock of hair we were going to keep as a memento she exclaimed,
 "But Mummy, it didn't even hurt!"

How perfectly logical for my little girl, who's always been told to never touch my sewing scissors, been warned of how knives can cut and who understands that cuts and scraps can hurt, to unwittingly believe that the act of haircutting may carry some of that same pain.

It would never have occurred to me that she may have thought this way but the joy in her discovery of the painless haircut made this memorable occasion even more endearing and special!

And here's my little one doing some crazy eyes as she checks out her brand spanking new fringe (aka bangs)


Cheers till next time ☺


Sep 16, 2011

Fondant Quilling, The Ballerina & the Bumblebee plus a little of the everyday

The days seem to bleed into one another and weeks seem to be merging into a blur of the everyday...




It's September and the beginning of Spring... I love Spring! It means more sunshine, more warmth and generally for me just a sense of being renewed after the wet and windy winter weather. This winter seemed to get to me more than any other before - it seemed colder, longer and generally more miserable. The girls and I and even hubby seemed to be on an endless merry go round of winter colds and flues. I've the remnants of one clinging on at the moment and even lost my voice for a few days (a bonus for the hubs I'm sure!)

Anyhow, did I say it's Spring? Yay! The sun has been out and the weather has been glorious for the past week or so.


Last week I tried my hand at fondant quilling... I had never seen or heard of this until I saw a couple of amazing cakes on Pinterest... and well I was determined to give it a go. I made up a batch or so of marshmallow fondant (recipe can be found within THIS post) and coloured it up nice and bright: 


Why the bobbin? you may be wondering. Well, the only cake decorating shop within about 100 kms or so did not have any fondant ribbon cutters in stock and I had left this cake till the last minute to make and didn't have the time to order one online ... It was to celebrate the 50th birthday of the lovely lady, Judi (yes, I spelt her name wrong on the cake - I was sure at 1am the night before that there was only one way to spell Judy... never mind she loved it anyway!) who volunteers and operates one of the fabulous church affiliated playgroups I attend with my girls. So I made do with what I had and the only thing I could think of that would give me nice even strips was the bobbin... and with the aid of a toothpick it did a reasonable job! Here's the finished cake:




I'm happy with my first attempt but there certainly is room for some improvement... my attempt at marbling the fondant on the base cake really went kind of mucky coloured rather than the wonderful rainbow swirls I'd been picturing in my head!

The girls and I have been having walks in the local fauna park... we are so lucky to have such a wonderful and educational facility only about a kilometre from home - its a huge park where kangaroos, emus, ducks and more just wander freely and then there are the walk through bird enclosures as well as reptile and snake enclosures (thankfully not open range). The girls absolutely love going there to spend a few hours just wandering through nature and admiring the flora and fauna...

Here they are jumping like kangaroos just after we walked into the park....


And here's some of the local inhabitants....

one of the dingos (they have about 5 at the park including one white -I think albino- one but it wasn't about on this day)


The emu's which wander freely...


One of the water birds...


Some blue tongue lizards which look like they're loving the sun as much as I do (although not too keen on the human interruption to their sunbathing)...


The girls wondering why the ducks scatter every time they try to catch them... hmmm... if only you could hear my two squealers as they run about the park!


Unfortunately we'd gone in the middle of the day this time and a lot of the girls favourite animals were sleeping... the wombat, the kangaroos and their favourite - the koala's... but even more reason to pop by again on the next sunny day when we have an hour or two to while away!

And my Big Little Miss M also had her first ballet concert a couple of days ago... being a first time concert mum I learnt a few things... 1. Even the baby ballerina's (including my 4 year old) must have a full face of makeup - Big Little Miss M loved this, I was not as keen.... (even though I nearly teared up when I saw her all dressed in her tutu)
2. You cannot take photo's or video during the actual stage performance... 
So here's my favourite photo I took of her at the ballet school for her dress rehearsals...


And because Little Little Miss M wanted in on the dress up action, I found this bumblebee costume in the $5 discount bin... the BEST $5 I've spent in a long time - she LOVES this costume and even wanted to sleep in it (tantrums aside when it came time to get her out of it) I even love the way she says "mumble-me" over and over when she's wearing it!


And just because it makes me smile here's the girls showing off their awesome twirling skills! 

The Ballerina aka Big Little Miss M:


And my Bumble Bee aka Little Little Miss M: 
I love the wind up she has before every twirl!



There's something so beautiful and free about watching little children dance and twirl and take absolute delight in something so simple... one of my most happiest memories of childhood is being outdoors on a sunny day all by myself in my favourite dress, just twirling!

Wishing you all a little twirly delight and magic...

Till next time
 xx




Sep 6, 2011

Free Flutter Sleeve Custom Made SpaNGle* Dress

Good afternoon blogland! Sorry, if you've come by for a post on a tutorial or a refashion... sadly I've been a little time poor (read: disorganised) lately and it seems everything always happens at once... hopefully I'll have one for you soon.

In the meantime, for anybody coming by today from Facebook... There is a MASSIVE pre-loved baby girls clothing sale going on at SpaNGle* and one lucky buyer is going to win one of these dresses:



Here's how:

1. One gift with purchase (GWP) will only occur if SpaNGle*s facebook page reaches another 20 likes before sale opens at 8pm (AEST) tonight.

2. If GWP is to be held (conditional upon above point) it will occur approximately 45minutes after sale start at 8:45pm.

3. Using the photo numbers of sale items to provide a number range, Random.org will be used to generate a winning number.

4. If the item corresponding to that number has been purchased that buyer will receive a complimentary SpaNGle* dress similar to that pictured above in the size of the item purchased.

5. If the corresponding item has not been purchased the process will be repeated every 5 minutes until someone wins!

6. BONUS.... if winner is a follower of this blog they will also receive a matching headband - but you must have left a comment below letting me know you are a follower PRIOR to the start of the sale!

7. Random.org screen shots will be added to this post to detail the winning number along with status and photo comment update to notify winner....

GOOD LUCK and don't forget to follow the blog and leave a comment below to be in with a chance at winning the headband too... oh and spread the word! We need to reach the magical extra 20 'likers'.

Cheers ☺


****UPDATE**** WINNER - Free Gift with purchase Winner as chosen by Random.org @8:45pm tonight..........


Congrats... Leonie SMITH - you pick up a free Flutter Sleeve Dress with your purchase!

Woo Hoo - time for a victory dance I say!

***NOTE: Oh, I just realised... in case anyone else was wondering... I removed two photo's from the Pre-loved sale album, after conducting the Gift with Purchase promotion and this changed the numbering on the photos with regards to who was the winner of the Gift With Purchase... Photo 117 received the bonus - that photo is now displayed as 115 but is still the lucky purchase item! ***

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