This past weekend my husband and I had a treat. The grandparents came up to hang out with the Poppet (by which I mean fawn over the poppet) and we went for a late breakfast and movie in Yarraville.
I decided to be a nice wife and let Digger chose the movie (opps), naturally he chose a baseball movie. But I got a great payoff, while we were browsing in The Sun Bookstore before the movie I spotted Lotta Jansdotter's book "Handmade Living" and since Ryan got to choose the movie I got to choose a book to come home with me...Hoorah!!!!
So not only did I get to eat a real breakfast with coffee whilst it was still hot and yummy, I also got to look at Brad Pitt for a few hours and take a pretty new book home.
And the day got even better. By the time we got home Poppy was soo tired from all the adoration and playing that she had a really really big nap. So I got to sit down with a big cup of tea and read my new book cover to cover... and what a book I loved it!!!
This book has everything I adore. Wonderfully creative handmade pieces, practical and pretty storage solutions, lots of textiles, an adorable child, and recipe cards. But what I thought was most awesome about this book is that it's not written by someone with a gargantuan disposable income who has furnished their home with items I could only ever dream of one day putting on my wishlist. This book is full of practical accessible and beautiful items, some from flea markets and garage sales, some hand crafted by the author or her local designer friends and amongst all of this, items from Ikea.
It's a wonderful book and I could say soo many nice things about it but I think I have covered the main points and I don't want to spoil it for you if you decide to have a look yourself, which I thoroughly recommend you do.
I cant wait to break out some of the recipes to make myself, the apple jam one sounds especially tasty.
Happy Weekend everyone
xxx
Thursday, 24 November 2011
Monday, 21 November 2011
The Poppet Update
Here's a little update on our little one.
Well The Poppet is getting big.. At just 6 months (depending on whether you count by weeks or calendar months) she is already wearing mostly 0 and size 1, yes you read that right size 1.
She is busily prattling along all day long, occasionally stringing correct syllables together like ma ma or da da or hu looo but I assume these are all random happy accidents. But oh so fun to hear. She does this in her sleep also which is funny but strange at the same time. It keeps me on my toes.
We have also started solids and this little girl loves her veggies and rice cereal.. fruit not soo much.
I can no longer pop the little miss down on the matt and come back to find her in the same place as she rolls rolls rolls (but never for her dad) and has started to kind of commando crawl face down across the ground.
Poppy has discovered how to walk in the walker.. Previously we just used it as she wants to stand up all the time but now she can go backwards very fast and forwards slowly.
It is soo much fun to watch The Poppet learn and discover new things, like where the water comes from in the shower and what it tastes like. I am having a blast at home with her and don't want to think about having to go back to work ever (or at least right now)..
Oh and the cutest thing ever... Poppy has decided her mum is hilarious and literally laughs at me all day long... You would be hard pressed not to be laughing and smiling along with her.
I will add some new photos soon of our happy little lady.
Hope your day was sunny
xxx
Well The Poppet is getting big.. At just 6 months (depending on whether you count by weeks or calendar months) she is already wearing mostly 0 and size 1, yes you read that right size 1.
She is busily prattling along all day long, occasionally stringing correct syllables together like ma ma or da da or hu looo but I assume these are all random happy accidents. But oh so fun to hear. She does this in her sleep also which is funny but strange at the same time. It keeps me on my toes.
We have also started solids and this little girl loves her veggies and rice cereal.. fruit not soo much.
I can no longer pop the little miss down on the matt and come back to find her in the same place as she rolls rolls rolls (but never for her dad) and has started to kind of commando crawl face down across the ground.
Poppy has discovered how to walk in the walker.. Previously we just used it as she wants to stand up all the time but now she can go backwards very fast and forwards slowly.
It is soo much fun to watch The Poppet learn and discover new things, like where the water comes from in the shower and what it tastes like. I am having a blast at home with her and don't want to think about having to go back to work ever (or at least right now)..
Oh and the cutest thing ever... Poppy has decided her mum is hilarious and literally laughs at me all day long... You would be hard pressed not to be laughing and smiling along with her.
I will add some new photos soon of our happy little lady.
Hope your day was sunny
xxx
Tuesday, 15 November 2011
Plus Sized Mama
I don't think I have ever been so bold as to come out and say I am a plus size Mama. It's true and there is no shame in it I just don't believe I have put that out there yet.
Clothes have always been an issue for me. As much as I love them, actually finding clothing that I like that is in my size and somewhat flattering, most days seems like the impossible mission. For this reason I gravitate towards plain kind of boring clothes that I can jazz up with accessories. Since I love brooches and earrings soo much its easy to dress up a plain outfit to still feel like a "mel' outfit.
Recently I discovered I really don't like about 80% of my wardrobe and of the 20% of it that I do actually like only a third actually fits me. I had all of this clothing that I owned merely for the reason that it fit me, it was not necessarily my style or even flattering in many cases it just fit. So with this in mind I decided to turf about 90% of my clothes (some awesome dresses will be on ebay very soon the rest are going to the Salvos). So I need new clothes, but I need to sell some first.
I have felt kind of bad that soo much of my clothing is/was store brought when I love handmade so much but everytime I search "plus size" on etsy I am graced with an array of hippy like tie dyed sacks or maternity clothes, not really my style right now. So for a while I have been a little cranky at etsy and feeling sorry for myself.. Poor me I am big and I need handmade clothes because store brought plus size is mostly ugly and atleast handmade can be made to fit... HAZZAH!!! Lightbulb.... This whole time I should have been searching "custom" not "plus size" and hello etsy I am madly in love with you all over again.
I received in the mail today a dress from a lovely lady in Hong Kong, the fabric has a repeated pattern of ships and it is just divine.
I now have three favourite pieces of handmade clothing The first being my wedding dress made by the ever so lovely Peta Pledger, who buy the way also makes awesome awesome dress that fit all shapes and sizes (several of her dresses are on my new wardrobe wish list). The second is my favourite top in the world made by my beautiful friend Kerstin who is the brains, talent and beauty behind Paul and Paula Kids clothing. Last but not least my beautiful new ship dress from Prototype designs.
I am starting to get excited about clothes again and can't wait to slowly start rebuilding my wardrobe with clothes that I love and can't wait to wear.
I will keep you updated on what I find along my way.
Clothes have always been an issue for me. As much as I love them, actually finding clothing that I like that is in my size and somewhat flattering, most days seems like the impossible mission. For this reason I gravitate towards plain kind of boring clothes that I can jazz up with accessories. Since I love brooches and earrings soo much its easy to dress up a plain outfit to still feel like a "mel' outfit.
Recently I discovered I really don't like about 80% of my wardrobe and of the 20% of it that I do actually like only a third actually fits me. I had all of this clothing that I owned merely for the reason that it fit me, it was not necessarily my style or even flattering in many cases it just fit. So with this in mind I decided to turf about 90% of my clothes (some awesome dresses will be on ebay very soon the rest are going to the Salvos). So I need new clothes, but I need to sell some first.
I have felt kind of bad that soo much of my clothing is/was store brought when I love handmade so much but everytime I search "plus size" on etsy I am graced with an array of hippy like tie dyed sacks or maternity clothes, not really my style right now. So for a while I have been a little cranky at etsy and feeling sorry for myself.. Poor me I am big and I need handmade clothes because store brought plus size is mostly ugly and atleast handmade can be made to fit... HAZZAH!!! Lightbulb.... This whole time I should have been searching "custom" not "plus size" and hello etsy I am madly in love with you all over again.
I received in the mail today a dress from a lovely lady in Hong Kong, the fabric has a repeated pattern of ships and it is just divine.
I now have three favourite pieces of handmade clothing The first being my wedding dress made by the ever so lovely Peta Pledger, who buy the way also makes awesome awesome dress that fit all shapes and sizes (several of her dresses are on my new wardrobe wish list). The second is my favourite top in the world made by my beautiful friend Kerstin who is the brains, talent and beauty behind Paul and Paula Kids clothing. Last but not least my beautiful new ship dress from Prototype designs.
I am starting to get excited about clothes again and can't wait to slowly start rebuilding my wardrobe with clothes that I love and can't wait to wear.
I will keep you updated on what I find along my way.
Sunday, 6 November 2011
Customer Service
My apologies in advance this will come off sounding a bit like a gripe (because it is,, but as always there is a sunny side).
I am presently annoyed with an online bookstore whom shall remain nameless... More than a month ago as a surprise I ordered Digger a book I thought he would enjoy, thinking to myself the whole time how convenient to be able to surprise him at a time when it was just impossible for me to be able to get out and about. Well that was in September! The book in question has been charged to my credit card and it is yet to arrive. Now I know things get held up and I am a fairly patient person. The website in question had a note on my account saying stock was expected on September 27th, however I had to log in to their site to even be graced by this information. There has been not so much as an email to say stock has been delayed etc etc....
I am ever so sad to say this has happened to me in the handmade community also.
I recently purchased a birthday present for a friend, from a melbourne designer who I have admired for sometime. I appreciate just how much work goes into running your own handmade business so I was not concerned at all when a week later I had not received the items I ordered (they were listed for immediate postage once payment had cleared). But when the package had not arrived after two weeks without so much as an email to say thanks for your order I will pop your items in the post shortly, I decided perhaps it was the internets fault and perhaps this lovely lady had not actually received my order. So I sent a nice email to say I was in no rush but wanted to make sure she had received my order. I still have not had a response to this email. However the very next day my package arrived postmarked the date of my email. I did receive additional items that I had not ordered, I am assuming as an apology for the delay. Whilst this was a lovely gesture I would have been content with a quick email saying sorry things have been hectic but I will post this asap. Instead my email went unanswered and I doubt I will purchase from her again.
Its unfortunate that bad customer service happens because it reflects badly on all sales people (it shouldn't but it does).
So much so that when we get good service we tend to rave about it because it is soo uncommon.
SO here is some service I do want to rave about.
I am pleased to say that in my dealings within the handmade community "bad service" has only happened to me once. In every other transaction and there have been many, I have honestly felt a sense of satisfaction from good service that I have experienced nowhere else. Even when you are purchasing something from someone on the other side of the world who you will never ever meet, it still feels like a very personal experience. Even more so when you buy at local handmade markets and get to have a chat with these amazing people, somehow I always end up finding out how they got into making their specific items and why (or maybe I am just nosey).
I wont let my one bad experience colour my view of buying handmade, I may not buy from that particular designer again but thats a different issue. But it served to remind me just how good I have had it with the handmade community to soo consistently have had excellent customer service that one insy wincey bad experience could stand out so much.
So whilst I started griping about bad customer serviced this post is really about just how good customer service is when you buy handmade....
and I remain one very very happy handmade shopper..
I don't think I can say it enough.. thank you to all the handmade sellers out there who have made shopping fun for me again.....
I hope all of your shopping experiences are happy ones.
I am presently annoyed with an online bookstore whom shall remain nameless... More than a month ago as a surprise I ordered Digger a book I thought he would enjoy, thinking to myself the whole time how convenient to be able to surprise him at a time when it was just impossible for me to be able to get out and about. Well that was in September! The book in question has been charged to my credit card and it is yet to arrive. Now I know things get held up and I am a fairly patient person. The website in question had a note on my account saying stock was expected on September 27th, however I had to log in to their site to even be graced by this information. There has been not so much as an email to say stock has been delayed etc etc....
I am ever so sad to say this has happened to me in the handmade community also.
I recently purchased a birthday present for a friend, from a melbourne designer who I have admired for sometime. I appreciate just how much work goes into running your own handmade business so I was not concerned at all when a week later I had not received the items I ordered (they were listed for immediate postage once payment had cleared). But when the package had not arrived after two weeks without so much as an email to say thanks for your order I will pop your items in the post shortly, I decided perhaps it was the internets fault and perhaps this lovely lady had not actually received my order. So I sent a nice email to say I was in no rush but wanted to make sure she had received my order. I still have not had a response to this email. However the very next day my package arrived postmarked the date of my email. I did receive additional items that I had not ordered, I am assuming as an apology for the delay. Whilst this was a lovely gesture I would have been content with a quick email saying sorry things have been hectic but I will post this asap. Instead my email went unanswered and I doubt I will purchase from her again.
Its unfortunate that bad customer service happens because it reflects badly on all sales people (it shouldn't but it does).
So much so that when we get good service we tend to rave about it because it is soo uncommon.
SO here is some service I do want to rave about.
I am pleased to say that in my dealings within the handmade community "bad service" has only happened to me once. In every other transaction and there have been many, I have honestly felt a sense of satisfaction from good service that I have experienced nowhere else. Even when you are purchasing something from someone on the other side of the world who you will never ever meet, it still feels like a very personal experience. Even more so when you buy at local handmade markets and get to have a chat with these amazing people, somehow I always end up finding out how they got into making their specific items and why (or maybe I am just nosey).
I wont let my one bad experience colour my view of buying handmade, I may not buy from that particular designer again but thats a different issue. But it served to remind me just how good I have had it with the handmade community to soo consistently have had excellent customer service that one insy wincey bad experience could stand out so much.
So whilst I started griping about bad customer serviced this post is really about just how good customer service is when you buy handmade....
and I remain one very very happy handmade shopper..
I don't think I can say it enough.. thank you to all the handmade sellers out there who have made shopping fun for me again.....
I hope all of your shopping experiences are happy ones.
Tuesday, 1 November 2011
Some books I love you may not have heard of.
I have many many favourite books.. in fact I have two books shelves in my living room that are specifically for my "favourites" and a shelf in my bedroom of the extra special favourites so they are on hand in the event of a case of insomnia.
Theres lots of books you would expect to find if you know me well, even if you don't. They are the standard 150 odd books you must read...etc
My copies of Madame Bovary, The Bell Jar and Mrs Dalloway have been read and reread so many times the corners of their pages are frayed and stained with my fingerprints.. I can quote whole chunks from Wuthering Heights and To Kill a Mockingbird. These are all great books and I love them.
I am somewhat of an obsessive reader when I find an author I like I simply must read everything I can get my mits on that they have written... Like Brett Easton Ellis and Michael Chabon or Don Dellio.
I wanted to share with you some fantastic books that I love that I have chanced upon rather than been told I MUST read, maybe you already know about them. But just incase you don't heres 5 books from my "favourites" shelf they are all very different and in my small opinion beautifully written. Maybe next time you are at the library or secondhand book store you might find one and give it a go.
1. What a Piece of Work by Dorothy Porter (all of her books are amazing)
2. Orpheus Lost by Janette Turner Hospital
3. Youth by J.M Coetzee (I am a little obsessed with his books)
4. Falling by Anne Provost
5. Bureaucracy Blues by Craig Horne
I have to note on this one, that Craig Horne is a public servant who lives in Melbourne in a suburb I dearly miss. He is a solo blues singer. I think this is a book for everyone but would be especially enjoyed by public servants who love music.. so naturally I love this book.
If you are a bookish type yourself I have started a bookish little blog in lieu of starting that book that my Ryan keeps hounding me to write.. You might find it to be a whole heap of random rambling or you might like it.
Your welcome to have a peek at www.bigfatnerdypants.blogspot.com
Hope your having a lovely day
Oh and if anyone is interested... The book I am presently reading to the Poppet is Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and through the looking glass by Lewis Carroll.
Theres lots of books you would expect to find if you know me well, even if you don't. They are the standard 150 odd books you must read...etc
My copies of Madame Bovary, The Bell Jar and Mrs Dalloway have been read and reread so many times the corners of their pages are frayed and stained with my fingerprints.. I can quote whole chunks from Wuthering Heights and To Kill a Mockingbird. These are all great books and I love them.
I am somewhat of an obsessive reader when I find an author I like I simply must read everything I can get my mits on that they have written... Like Brett Easton Ellis and Michael Chabon or Don Dellio.
I wanted to share with you some fantastic books that I love that I have chanced upon rather than been told I MUST read, maybe you already know about them. But just incase you don't heres 5 books from my "favourites" shelf they are all very different and in my small opinion beautifully written. Maybe next time you are at the library or secondhand book store you might find one and give it a go.
1. What a Piece of Work by Dorothy Porter (all of her books are amazing)
2. Orpheus Lost by Janette Turner Hospital
3. Youth by J.M Coetzee (I am a little obsessed with his books)
4. Falling by Anne Provost
5. Bureaucracy Blues by Craig Horne
I have to note on this one, that Craig Horne is a public servant who lives in Melbourne in a suburb I dearly miss. He is a solo blues singer. I think this is a book for everyone but would be especially enjoyed by public servants who love music.. so naturally I love this book.
If you are a bookish type yourself I have started a bookish little blog in lieu of starting that book that my Ryan keeps hounding me to write.. You might find it to be a whole heap of random rambling or you might like it.
Your welcome to have a peek at www.bigfatnerdypants.blogspot.com
Hope your having a lovely day
Oh and if anyone is interested... The book I am presently reading to the Poppet is Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and through the looking glass by Lewis Carroll.
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