Winter sunshine

I am loving the gorgeous winter sunshine, but have been mostly too busy to make the most of it. Today was the exception. I ignored my urge to work and instead went swimming, hit the shops and played at the park. Maisie scored herself some new converse sneakers. She was pretty glued to the teal pair (the right choice in my mind too), but I endured the slight tantrum to save $20 on a purple pair. Seriously, a tantrum over shoes at 14 months?? Scary view to the future..

So I had a quick look at the new Zara last week, and despite my serious enthusiasm for it hitting our shores, I was sorely disappointed. Perhaps when I've visited Zara in the past, I've always viewed it through European holiday glasses. The clothes just just don't have the same sparkle when the store staff have an Australian accent and you don't have to convert the price tag into AUS dollars. I'm sure I'll go back, maybe it's just their current collection. I'm about to start a new craft project, so I'll post soon..

Special things

Just thought I'd share this gorgeous quilt with you that Maisie's grandma gave us on Mother's Day. The middle section includes scraps of school uniforms, clothes and other meaningful bits and bobs that were quilted by Maisie's great-grandmother. The card is a treat from creche. I love how the fingers are smeared showing how the impatient little minx was trying to escape from the enforced art project.

It's all in the jeans

Little Maise is coping well with creche and I'm enjoying the return to work, so the week has been really good. And, now that the house inspections are over with I can bring back some of the clutter including the sewing machine! Over the Summer I turned an old pair of my jeans into shorts and saved the cut-off legs for another project. Inspiration struck this week and I turned them into a little pair of homegirl jeans for Maisie. They're a bit baggy, but she seems very happy with them. So simple.

Choppers in every sense

I knew it would happen. As soon as I thought I had escaped the assortment of infectious offerings doing the rounds, I was hit with two at once. Not only did I get the delightful flu (you know, the usual... nightsweats, shivers, throat infection), but I was also served up a bout of gastro for good measure. Mmm fun. Throw a teething baby into the mix and you have one hell of a happy household. The sickness put my new project on hold...recovering one of our dining chairs in the very fun Echino oilcloth (yep helicopter print screams infant friendly fabric to me). I completely dislike highchairs, so I figured the Handysitt is a good compromise, so long as I protect the dining chair from little miss blowing rasberries with a mouth full of pumpkin. Anyway, we're off to Tassie for a long weekend which I'm very much looking forward to. Maybe we can sleep in while Maisie reads the newspaper....her latest obsession.

Missing in action

Oh dear, I have been so bad at posting lately, but I promise to be better. I have had a grumpy baby, a sick husband and yours truly has been suffering a general malaise. 28 degrees today, so things are looking up... well not for Maisie, she has her immunisations in a few hours. Ewww, poor little mite. As promised, pics of the latest craft project - vintage fabric bunting - so easy, so cute and a hit with Maisie (it looks better up on the wall) - check it out at Poppet in the Post.

Has anyone seen my baby?

Someone has stolen my baby and replaced her with a well-behaved replica, and I'm not complaining. So used to the screaming angst that accompanies Maisie's 7pm sleep session, that when she SMILED and giggled as I left her room this evening, I waited...barely breathing, for the realisation that she was alone, to set in. Then.... nothing. She chatted and cooed like those cute babies in the Huggies commercials and I sucked down some red wine and did a little happy dance. Now I'm not naive enough to expect this experience every night, but what a ridiculous relief to have this happy smiley baby just for one stress-free evening.

Actually the whole day was rather stress free and nice...lunch with my sister and her bub at The Little Ox (pic attached of my yummy salmon tartare with potato roesti, beetroot relish and poached egg), plus a surprise visit from some Newcastle friends who are getting married tomorrow in Melbourne - forecast of 15 degrees blizzard and hail - good thing they can laugh about it. Maisie also spent some time rediscovering the joys of her riotously coloured playmat (good thing babies have a short memory span) and I started my next project - sewing some funky vintage fabric triangles into bunting for the newly crowned angel's room. Have a lovely weekend all.

The munchies

Whoever said that introducing solids helps babies sleep at night is a big fat liar. Maisie is feeding as much as her newborn cousin during the wee hours of the night! I realise that once her tummy gets used to digesting the good stuff she may settle down, but for now it's midnight snacktime up to three times a night! Oh there's that and the screaming sessions at bedtime which I've been advised is most likely premature 'separation anxiety'. The cure? Me staying with her during those shrieks from hell until she finally drops off..and giving her something that smells like mum (poor kid!!) So, today's task? Sewing her a blankie... At least I finally finished making her reversible pinafore dress.

Extermination and creation

I am so sick of being sick! Grotty little germs have infested our house and infected us one by one, repeatedly. Thankfully Maisie seems to have escaped the latest outbreak and I'm hoping there will be no round three.

I haven't made anything since snazzing up a couple of little singlets for Maisie's Fiji wardrobe. So, inspired by some vintage dress patterns from Maisie's nana, I bought some lovely fabrics on the weekend from Amitie. They have such a great selection, I could have easily bought the entire store, but I settled for fabrics for a dress for Maisie, a cushion for me and some other, yet-to-be-thought-of creation. We also had breakfast at St Ali on Sunday....great coffee and mmmm those corn fritters with haloumi..

Viva la giraffe

Maisie has started showing a major interest in food, intently watching each mouthful we take and reaching for things on our plate. I plan to start her on solids next month, but for the moment, sucking face with Sophie la giraffe will have to suffice. I'm also on the hunt for a nice old-school highchair. Her cot and changetable are relics from another era, so why start buying new things now? Hmmm...I feel an op-shopping adventure coming on...

We just had a lovely lunch at The Little Ox with my good mate Strunksy, now I'm all inspired to get back into the craft projects I've put on hold. Might start sewing again on the weekend, I'll keep you posted!

A bit of colour

After yesterday's freezing day, today was almost balmy. Little miss was bit grumpy about being rugged up, but the motion of the pram was no match for her cries of protest and she soon slept for a couple of hours. I found a great fabric store in the neighbourhood which stocks hundreds of gorgeous printed linens and cottons. I could have bought everything in the store. Alas, I restrained myself until I decide what my next project is going to be. Once I work it out, I'll post it here. These happy flowers should brighten the house until I get some of those great fabrics.

Getting crafty 2

I've had a big urge to make pompoms, don't ask me why, but I'm finding it quite relaxing sitting on the couch under a big rug twisting scraps of wool around cardboard. Perhaps I'll make them into a broach, I'll just need to make one more in daffodil yellow...