Round here

something radiates....

Ash keeps emptying all the toys out of his treasure chest toybox so that he can use it to play pirate games. Time for a different toybox, methinks. Me hearties.

Sienna goes back to school (and Ash to kinder, 4YO this year) tomorrow, but is determined that she doesn't want to be in year 1. I just say it doesn't matter either way, prep or year 1 she's in the same class. Let's go!

Cedar has two teeth, the bottom middle two, the first one cut while in Germany the first week there and the second one cut through on the Thursday flying home and the Friday we arrived home. He is eating solids for dinner, making all sorts of hilarious faces throughout the process, and likes to hold the spoon and feed himself. Usually we give him his own separate spoon to hold while we use another to feed him :) I made him this high-chair insert out of polka dot oilcloth the other day.

He is also sleeping in a cot now. He was ridiculously too big for the bassinette but didn't seem to mind and I hadn't put the cot up yet, so I managed that this week and moved him straight over - no stress at all. He's a pretty easy-going baby. Cruises along, smiles, plays with his feet, grizzles, eats / drinks, sleeps, chats and growls. 6 and a half months already.

Other than that it's busy around here with de-cluttering and re-organising, Ben has a new role at work from tomorrow, and I've had a few deadlines and baby hat sales. Plans for much photo-editing during February!

Renegade

Orville Wright didn't have a pilot's license.

Richard Tait

 

Thank you, Compendium, this made me laugh!

Lovely Fabrics

All from Kelani Fabric Obsession

Cuckoo

Love this! From Lark.

This too.

And these guys are cool. Just so you know.

Feeling decidedly overshadowed

 

...by a 4 year old wielding a 400D. And pretty impressed at the fact. Ash goes photog on me again :)

Baby Style

I made this style card with a list Kell has given me for bub #3, and I think it looks cool so wanted to share it! Of course it could be because her baby style looks cool, rather than my photoshopping skills ;) Actually, these colours are awesome! I think burnt orange and that sort of leaf pea green will show up in a project soon. I bought them the Dwell Studio Transport pram blanket, because who doesn't love a good blanket?

Crepe

Hehe. Made me laugh. From Australian etsy seller onedrawingeachday

etsy Help For Haiti

Help For Haiti / Hearts for Haiti is an Etsy collective of donated items from hundreds of Etsy shops to raise money to rebuild Haiti. 100% of the proceeds from this shop (minus Etsy fees and Paypal fees) go directly to DoctorsWithoutBorders (http://doctorswithoutborders.org ) in bi-monthly increments. Every little bit adds up and allows more doctors to provide help to a city of people who have already suffered so much, and this way those who are supporting with their donation of handmade art are also encouraged. I just bought this beautiful tree-heart pendant from Italy.

Here are some other faves.

Butterfly Monarch Jasper Hemp and Ribbon Necklace

Swallow headband

Appliqued Hoodie Deer Head 12 to 18 months

Luka Hat

Made It

Launching the Curiouser & Curiouser MadeIt shop...

All my baby items have just been taken out of my etsy and listed in my brand new MadeIt shop instead. More and more I feel, as much as the international marketplace is fascinating and valuable, it is really important to support local crafters as well. To reflect this approach I want to support the Australian handmade marketplace that is MadeIt, and I hope it will also make it more straightforward for locals to be able to buy in AU$ and with the option of direct deposit payments. International customers may still purchase via MadeIt, of course, and paypal is also a standard payment option.

I find it inspiring and motivating to reflect on the things you've made in the past... though to be honest it can have the opposite effect as well (as in, look at the stuff I've made sitting around, what's the point). I think it depends on my frame of mind at the time. Or whether I like the stuff I've made in the past. What do you think? Do you find reflecting on past creativity encouraging or paralysing?

We return to usual programming...

This is my teal, brown and yellow layout for the latest issue of Scrapbook Creations, which came out a week or so ago.

And this is a special project I did for the Scrapboxx newsletter (did I ever make the announcement official? As of November I am a member of the Scrapboxx design team - yay!) and was for Sienna and Ash while Cedar and I were away. Ben read them the pocket note each day we were gone and they got an activity or gift. These were things like a treasure map, bubbles, a new book each, bats and a ball, balloons, self-assembly planes and drawing pads with pencils.



And yes, Cedar and I just got back from a wonderful trip to Hamburg and Denmark to see this girl and her gorgeous family. One suitcase was misplaced by the airline so was delivered to me the following evening instead. Today I will finish unpacking and will tell you all more about the trip later!

Here we are...

In cold, lovely Hamburg with the sweet King family, keeping cosy inside and rugging up for walks in the snow. Cedar is enjoying making new friends and I adore seeing the light, delicate snowflakes drifting down outside...