long lost buddies returned to visit!
stax on pa pete - christmas tradition of the cousins which has a new player each year
Boyd Baker House - I love you. Another treat of a location for makeup work.
princess mouse on her favourite throne studying cookbook before we stole throne out of playroom to use in new hair salon. (salon post soon...)
Actually my health and luck didn't quite make it to the end. I got through 7 of my 8 Christmas markets and ended up with a nasty flu and throat infection and dosed up on Panadiene Forte for a few days. There was no talking or eating. Just fever and vomiting. Two lovely market mates manned my part of our shared Meat Market stall which I was very thankful for and Hannah, our new au pair, manned my children - the timing of her arrival so very perfect. (She sure got thrown into her role..) Meanwhile my studio flooded due to a burst water main! So once I had emerged from my sick bed I had to go assess the damage (not too bad) and begin the clean up (not so fun). There are a few pics of the studio flood over at Susan's blog - of which none of it I witnessed as the studio residents had cleaned most of the water out by the time I got in there..
Aside from all the disaster things have been looking up around here as far as the daily grind goes. Having Hannah here has certainly taken the edge off having two toddlers and two businesses. I am nicer to the kids and now have a bit more time for simply organising myself, having leisure time to myself (which I had almost forgotten even existed) and generally being less frustrated and exhausted.
So the end of the year is near and I look forward to focusing on working hard at what I do, having lots of fun with the kids, living a bit healthier and getting in some me time.
Hannah & Mahlie:
An afternoon in St. Kilda:
So much has been happening that I honestly do not know where to begin. I have got to make time to post here more regularly. I guess the biggest news is that I have taken a big step by moving Twiglet out of the bungalow and into my very own proper studio in Kensington. Here is a piccy just outside the front door of the studio complex. I certainly DO NOT plan on bringing the kids here on a regular basis - it would defeat the purpose of moving my work away from home all together.. but Mahlie wanted to see mama's new sewing room. So here they are - about to knock over my takeaway latte and dangerously near to cordless power tools and all kinds of safety hazards..
It's gonna take some getting used to. Not having my workspace at home and so accessible will be weird! It's only a 10 minute drive from home but I now have to be extra organised when I have a market and making sure I have everything I need etc. I have met some great studio neighbours already - a surprise visit from across the corridor was from Sandra and her little friend Tango, who had moved in just the day before me. Then I found another neighbor at Sister's Market yesterday! There's a great vibe going on there and I look forward to putting more dedication into Twiglet and being surrounded by and inspired by other artists and crafters that I can borrow sticky tape from at 11:30pm.
Studio set-up mess:
P.S - Many people are asking how I will be there around the kidlets and the answer is: Au Pair. We have a live-in nanny arriving from the U.S.A in mid December who will work 35 hours a week for us. Better, cheaper and less guilty than day care, I say.
I will catch up on other stuff in point form or there shall be rambling..
*Cup Day, as always, marked the beginning of makeup season - I have already run out of sponges, cotton buds and tissues. And run into M.A.C three times to top up the kit last minute.
*Sisters Market was a great day. Allison was opposite my stall and it was good to catch up, however I couldn't help but make purchases with all that cuteness in my face all day!
*Breathing through the overwhelming preparations for Maribyrnong Makers Market this Saturday and Thread Den Market this Sunday.
*Got tickets in my hot little hands to Tori Amos with my sister this Friday night and Emiliana Torini in January.
*Clearly not moving to Castlemaine anymore. How funny that 8 weeks ago we had definitely decided to go. But we had to wise up and be realistic about stuff. We have now decided to stay put here in Yarraville, get some chickens so that their clucking will at least make us seem like we are in the country and have made a family pact to get out of town to the real country as much as humanly possible.
So I survived the Stitches and Craft Show and even considered my manning of our stall a bit of a break from everything. I met some nice neighbours, saw lots of lovely crafty stuff and came home with a bag of goodies which shall be photographed tomorrow and posted about who knows when. Maribyrnong Makers Market was rained out, unfortunately, so we will try again in August. This weekend I hope to add some stock to Etsy and even activate my BigCartel store. The current status of everything else:
Pete - back to normal, back at work and no more clutching of frozen peas/hobbling around the house like John Wayne
Leon - whingey, whiney, waking, teething sookiest sook that ever did sook - driving us all mad and constantly, instantly forgiven once he flashes his goofy, gorgeous smile
Mahlie - being potty trained, asking same question on repitition, starting to give a bit of "tude", obsessed with taking photos now that we have given her our old camera
Moi - desperate to simplify my life, home and mind. The house is disaster zone. Planning on a massive clear out of stuff, getting some sort of storage solution for the bungalow which was once "the back room" in which all the stuff we didn't want in the house got chucked, and which has never officially been taken over as a studio by Twiglet. I will spend the winter months (while the makeups slow down a bit) organising the office end of the businesses which will hopefully help me to stop freaking out every time I approach my desk! Some Yoga... I used to really hate it but now I have 1 and a 2 year old I think I may just be swayed.
Loving: Emiliana Torrini - Me and Armini
The food at Baba
I read somewhere that apparently it's "blogtoberfest". How about 23rd of Octoberfest?! I seem to do all my blogging in one post. I try to up the frequency, I think I may have to give in an accept that I do it when I can and just move right along... so here I go - a catch up on the month behind me.
Shots from the yard - getting there slowly. A before shot when the walls were blue and the wisteria was purple:
And now, the walls chocolate and the wisteria white. We have decided the brown isn't "black" enough and will do another coat in a much darker shade. Like the colour it is in the shady patches. And the frames will be re-painted in white..
Pete has also planted a vegie patch and a big row of Birds Of Paradise along the back fence. SO many more plans..
I had my stall at Sisters Market. Great market but not so busy this time! At least I was somewhat amused by a certain delirious-cos-she-forgot-to-eat-lunch stallholder opposite... but you're all coming to the next one, right? To buy all your Chrissy pressies?
What Else? Getting ready for another big market - new stock and sizes! These fine wares will also be there. Quite excited about it... Speaking of, I finally got to meet this little chica not so long ago. Cuuuuute. Took Mahlie to the zoo - she loved it except for the butterfly enclosure in which she shrieked like a banshee whenever they flew near her... got outta there quick smart. Makeups galore - it's bwidal season.. those wascaling witches. Oooh did I just say that out loud? Oops. Going hard at the gym - did my first spin class GOD the pain the next day. And all the other dull daily grind stuff that's dull and I don't go on about it cos it's completely dull. Which is why I need a break from it so I am pissing off to Sydney with my friend and we are going for 3 whole nights. No nappies, housework, crying or whining, milk- getting or night waking. Just cocktail-drinking, decor-admiring, homeware-shopping, properly-dressing, jewellery-wearing(!), eating-in-peace and mag-reading.
*I confess, there could be some tear-shedding and sorely-missing. We'll see.
Okay, first of all I would like to thank all the goddesses whom left me comments (and those whom did not but sent me actual e-mails!) about my last post. Clearly I was a little wigged out.. I have recovered from this by:
a) reading the comments of other mama's confessions from the playroom.
b) booking a trip to Sydney for 3 nights with a girlfriend at the end of October to shop, drink and read magazines in bed. Even though we can't afford it - can you put a price on sanity?
c) digging out my copy of "Kid Wrangling" and having a giggle. One quote in particular - "if my kids are alive at the end of the day, I've done my job". - Roseanne Barr
d) bitching to my mothers group which opened a can of worms I tell you... hours of entertaining conversation about screaming at children to make me feel normal.
I never really blogged about the woes of motherhood before - I thought it was dull reading and we all just wanna look at great pictures and get good ideas and you know, buy great craft and vintage stuff... Nope! Talkin' crazy mama brings out the lurkers and strikes a chord with everyone! Perhaps I shall whinge more often...
Aside from all of this I have missed a few days of my self-challenge "digital spring cleaning" and now it's the last day of September so I will just purge at the last minute (isn't that how all spring cleaning ends up?) and throw a bunch of shots at ya:
Some Bali Purchases - glass fishing floats VERY cheap yet VERY hard to bring home.
White Rabbit - carved timber, so beautiful and I had to stop myself from buying one of each 5 sizes. His limbs all move, so sweet. Hobby horse, owl and deer - also carved timber to add to my collection of lovelies, cos you know, I don't have enough ornaments...
Leon and his amigos - Owen and Hardi, all whom have now turned out to be total boofers can't wolf down enough breastmilk/formula/food. Boy do we go through apples around here...
A birth gift from Megs. Can't.pull.tag.off. Must.preserve.vintage.goodness.
So there was my marathon clean-out post. Now I can go back to normal blogging - a post per month! (kidding - I think I may have re-trained myself to be here more regularly - but don't mark my words!)
Doh! I missed a day! Broke my own rules... Nevermind! (Had important things to do like go back to the gym, go to Northcote Festival and do a family budget only to find out we have practically nothing left over after the weekly outgoings. Looks like I will be selling some stuff on ebay again...!)
Here is Mahlie playing in her new kitchen which she got for her birthday and which we set up for her in the corner of the playroom and which I must take more photos of because it's so adorable. She makes us "frog soup" and "mama coffee".
And Leon whom I am trying desperately to take more photos of so he doesn't grow up with a complex that his big sister has about five baby photo albums and he only one... and most of his photos have Miss M in them anyway!
Kids outfits by Mama
Bride's Hair by Papa
Weather and Atmosphere by Bali
Dinner and Entertainment by KuDeTa
Photographs by Meaghan J Smith
It was exactly what we hoped for..
(More on flickr)
By the way - I have been informed that our playroom will be in the Herald Sun tomorrow! Yay! (and I will be adding more images of the nursery to flickr.)
Discovered and LOVE this today,too:
I have lots to tell. Lots of of pics to show! I have a backlog of blog posts and have had no time to post them! This is very ambitious of me - but I have decided to post to this here blog everyday for the rest of September. It will be like a digital spring cleaning. If anyone is still reading and has not given up on me, you might like to join in...?
First, Bali.
Our holiday was really amazing. Our resort and villa were to die for. Our jaws literally dropped when we were dropped off at the foyer. We could not believe we were going to stay in this luxurious palace of a resort with water features everywhere, exotic plants and palms, traditional "rice barn" style villas, two-level pool with swim-up bar and in-house day spa. We booked a deluxe family villa and that is what we got! Here is where Mahlie slept:
Our Balcony (complete with built in day bed!):
Produce Market:
Leon taking a nap at a beautiful restaurant in Ubud specialising in duck dishes:
And Mahlie's bedroom with view of the pool - which resulted in lengthy, daily chanting "shwimming? shwimming? papa? shwimming? mama! shwimming! bathers? yeah? okaaaaay... and there was following around, hand pulling, dress tugging at and a bit of tanty throwing to go with it. Frustratingly we would take her in the pool only for her to want to get straight out because it was too cold. Little Monkey!
I knew it would be hard travelling with the babas, the compensation for Pete and I having to leave great places earlier and having very limited sun lounge time was to get a babysitter every night and go out to dinner. The dining in Bali is amazing. We think we might move there! Wedding pics tomorrow...
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