Queens Birthday long Weekend

Well the Queens Birthday long Weekend has come and gone in Australia and it’s now back to work – but we can reminisce about our adventures and write them on a Blog!

Friday was spent buying various items for the home décor such as the blue fabric for my wall hangings – I also couldn’t help myself and brought more canvases in different shapes and sizes (I got 4 for only $35 – would have been $70 originally). So I covered the ones for the dinning room and now I just have to pick colours for the rest of the rooms. It’s also hubby’s birthday on the 23rd so I might get a frame for one of his comic book posters and put it in the Formal lounge (or sort of theatre room without the fancy black walls and recliner chairs).

Saturday - Territory Wildlife Park

Around 30mins from where we live is the Territory Wildlife Park which showcases all our native wildlife. We took Hubby’s sister (who was up from Brisbane the long weekend) and his Dad and it was Maddison’s first time there. I tried to take some pro looking photos with my Mum’s partners camera – it was a Cannon Powershot. Maddison loved the train best as it reminded her of the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Choo-Choo Express train.

Sunday - Greek Glenti

Every Sunday Maddison and I visit my Dad so I thought it would be a good idea to go down to the annual Greek Glenti (a celebration of all things Greek). We tried to go on the little train ride but Maddison wasn’t too keen on sitting in there by herself and had a little cry (I guess I shouldn’t have left her eyesight). We had a look at the petting zoo area and proceeded to have some very smooth and delicious ice-cream – Vanilla for DD and Chocolate for Mum. Then we had Octopus which Maddison quite liked (as she really enjoys all seafood) but some bits were harder to eat so Mum had to give it a few chews to soften it up…! Yum

Monday was spend cleaning out my old rooms at Mum’s as she has a friend coming to live with her, a very old and dear friend who has lost her Husband and has been living in her sister’s rented house, which she is raising the rent to something like $400+ a week! And I can tell you this place is no haven as it is in a very scary neighbourhood. Mum lives out rural (which isn’t very far from Darwin central – 35min drive).

Wall Canvas Art

I have a new project in the works which has been on my mind for a while now...I have a lot of wall space in my house and not a lot of art. I didn't want to have to spend a small fortune on posters in glass frames and then have to wait for hubby to attach hooks to keep them up. I did look at buying ready to hang canvas art (which is light and only need 3M hooks or Velcro) but I didn't like what was on offer as I couldn't find exactly the shape or the pattern, so I have come up with a plan to hang pre-made canvas, covered in modern fabric. I have acquired the canvas (half price at Nextra - or two for one) and got two rectangle ones. I was thinking of putting them side by side but I might even have them as two separate pieces of art in two different locations (one horizontal and one vertical). I'll take a pick of the space I'm thinking of filling (it's the wall above the dinning table).

This sort of project is also good for sentimental or beautiful fabric which you can't bare to put the scissors to!

Notes regarding the few inspirational images - The circle art is made using embroidery hoops apparently; I really like the blue and brown fabric used on the two square hangings (blue is the colour I'm going for in my project); I just love the look of the girls room with it's little polka dot hat box (I LOoovvve hat boxes!) and the lovely wall hangings.

Recent Events!

OK I haven’t written an entry for a while and I have a bit to say…

Hen’s Night:

Apart from the lack of Music on the night it was a pretty fun evening. It was tea party themed with all the girls were dressed with great effort! We had a Alice in Wonderland, Betty Boop, Jane (Tarzan) Tinkerbell, Cinderella (Bride), Belle (Beauty and the Beast), Pocahontas and Little Red Riding Hood.

My Best Friend’s Wedding: First off the wedding of my best friend on the 15th May went off with only a minor hitch (no pun intended) as there were a few waterworks from the bride when we found out the batteries for the stereo which was to be used for the ceremony music didn’t fit – which resulted in us two bridesmaids running off to the store (thankfully we were at a resort which also had a caravan park so the petrol station had a small general store). It was a long day and the night before was just as long having gone to bed at around 3.30am and getting up at 7am I think, but we were glad after all the photos and the formalities of the reception (rather more I since I had to do a speech being the Maid of Honour) and then we could get down to some refreshing beverages (two bottles of non-menu champagne later).

Sewing Projects:

Since the last post I have made/sewed a few little quick items, first was a traditional looking apron made from the fabric which used on the Hen’s night as a table cover. I now use it ever time I cook and just tuck a tea towel in the top for wiping. I also made plastic bag holder (a tube with a hole at the top and bottom) which I made using fabric I brought when Maddison was born but never got around to using (green gingham with little bees). I just whiped up the last two using no tutorials and it was just a hit or miss sort of project which thankfully were both hits. I also made a little tutu using the tulle for the Hen’s night veil (which I didn’t get around to making) – I brought the wings and wand from a cheap store for $8 as I didn’t like the full sets which cost twice as much and the wings and skirt weren’t very nice looking. The tutorial I used for the tutu can be found here. Photos will be added in the Sewing and Craft Creations! page.

Sewing and Craft Creations!

* Cupcake Dress *
Pattern: Made By Rae

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* Mickey Mouse Bag (Toddler Size) *

Pattern: Made By Rae

Pictures to come...

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* Minnie Mouse Top and Pants *

Pattern: To Come...

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* Tutu *

Pattern: Plumtickeled

* Kitchen Apron *

* Plastic Bag Dispenser *

DD's 2nd Birthday!

Well, well, well...DD's birthday has been and gone and mostly without a hitch (apart from the cupcake tower incident...my sis got to them before we had even took it outside and put the candle on) - Maddison wore her Mother's sewing creation and it turned out quite well (apart from the pants which I'm sure I sewed upside down...) - I added the little bow to give it a more Minnie Mouse inspired look. The outfit was complete with top, pants and handbag, which I didn't take a photo of - the bag is black with a Mickey head on it in the same red polka-dot fabric.

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Only 6 days to go before my DD 2nd birthday...! So much to prepare considering I feel like I've been in organisation mode since the start of April! I have yet to make her birthday outfit which will also count as a present. As it's Mickey Mouse Clubhouse themed I'm making her a two piece Minnie Out fit complete with a little handbag :) The outfit will consists of a baby doll top and little shorts in a red with white polka dot fabric with a Mickey Mouse iron-on and the bag will be a mixture of the same fabric as well as black with Mickey's head on the front. The bag pattern comes from the same lady who made the Itty Bitty Dress Pattern I made for Maddison using the cupcake fabric.

Easter Break

Well I hope everyone had a great Easter break! We didn't do too much (as my hubby is not the camping type) - Saturday morning was time for Chinese Qingming Festival http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qingming_Festival which normal falls around Easter, which is a holiday in China where young and old pray before the ancestors, sweep the tombs and offer food, tea, wine, chopsticks, joss paper accessories to the ancestors - we did have a yummy day on Sunday at a friends house who celebrate Greek Easter so they had lots of things on spits and heaps of tasty home cooked meals :) Then on Sunday night I went out with the girls for a bit of dancing and then Monday was a day of rest hanging out with Maddison's Pops house (my Dad).

Hen's Night Process...

Ok so the elements to my Belle costume for the hens night are coming together, most of which are off Ebay (love, love, love, Ebay). I have my corset, petticoat, faux bun and I've been to Spotlight so I've got my yellow fabric for my skirt all sorted. I'm also waiting on some braclets and gift boxes (all up the braclets cost me $1.50 each) one each for the girls so it makes them feel welcome - I really feel lost when i go to Hen's nights and I either don't know anyone or the only person I do know hasn't arrived yet. I'll put their name on each one then another tag on the actually braclet with something like "The Sexy Minx!" written on it. Everything seems organised!!

Party Organising...

At the moment I am attempting to orginaise two special events - My daughters 2nd birthday and my bestfriends Hen's Night - both of which fall within a week of each other. DD loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse so that is the theme, and I must say a hard one to find...I have seen numours Disney Princesses, Ben Ten and In the Night Garden bit no Mickey (Ebay doesn't even offer much) so I have resorted to some cleaver alternatives. I have brought chocolate cupcake mix and some chocolate buttons for ears - I also found little pink polka dot fabric bows so half will be Mickey and half will be Minnie. Wholah! Mickey & Minnie Mouse Cupcake Tower. I've brought some head bands to make some Mickey ears - I'm also going to make a carboard Clubhouse so she can go through the doors - painting it in all it's bright glory!

The Hens Night is themed as a Fairytale Heroines Party (it was originally Disney princess but I found out there weren't that many) so think Little Red Riding Hood, Bo Peep ect. I will be coming as sexy Belle from Beauty and the Beast (my favourite Disney character next to Ariel The Little Mermaid - probably cause I was about 5yrs old at the time) so it ill be a freaky Tea party (cupcake tower of course) with a castle Turret for photos, colourful mood lighting, bubbles and of course the usaully games, shots and girls giggling!

Cupcake Itty-Bitty Dress

To start the 'creative' side of this blog I will tell you about my first real sewing project since high school - I used the free pattern by Rae which someone kindly posted a toddler version of this dress. It was very simple and although I did change it a bit (I didn't use the bias tape mentioned and I changed the gathering to pleats) but I think it turned out nicely.  Maddison wore it to a 2nd birthday party on Sunday and I actually got a nice comment about it - which is when Hubby chimed in that I had made it :)

First Post...

Hello world!

Welcome people to my first blog entry.
I am no newbie when it comes to expressing myself in words over the internet (ie. Facebook) - I in fact, (like most others) are better at expression in words to an anonymous audience then at expressing myself verbally.

I have a beautiful 2 year old daughter named Maddison who (although a bit of a surprise) has been a wonderful addition to our lives. In light of an appending child I also gained a husband, Matthew - who after a rocky start to the whole parenting idea is now Maddison's number one fan. All this took place while I was 21 and still living at home...

Although it hasn't been an easy emotional ride I have always had the support of my family and friends who have offered advice and have not only helped emotional but also financially as well.

This is a blog to start my road towards being a memorable Mother and Wife. I'm quite a creative person so I want to improve and grow my talents so that one day people will remember me as someone who made beautiful things, cooked delicious meals and put on one hell of a party!!