Pay It Forward

Last year I put a call out on my blog for anyone who like to be a part of my pay it forward.  I had until 30th April 2013 to complete and post my items but I decided to take advantage of my weeks before Imogen was born and get crafting.  I finished all my items but then they sat in my sewing room for a few weeks until I managed get out and buy some extras to send along with them.  I am glad though because I got to send them out just in time for Christmas.  My three girls that I was posting to were Marie, Peta and Megan.  I decided to make them each something different to match their interests.

Marie, I am sure you all know, is a crafting all rounder so I chose to make her gift targeted towards her recent adventures in knitting.  I made her a project bag so that she can take her knitting projects on the go with her.  I also popped in some point protectors and a needle gauge.  I forgot to take a picture of it but the bag had a really cool pink lining.  I really enjoyed making this bag and I may have to make a few for myself!

Peta loves fashion and has a lot of vintage influences in her wardrobe so I made her a vintage style bow knot scarf.  I also bought her some matching tights and some flower earrings.  I have had this scarf in my ravelry queue for so long I am glad I got a chance to finally make it.

Megan is a sewer through and through so I made her a pin cushion in two of the colours she listed as her favourites (purple & green).  I also popped in some heart buttons and a vintage thread tin.  I love pin cushions. I don't think a sewer can have too many pin cushions.

Thank you to the girls for taking part in my pay it forward.  I had so much fun doing it.  It is a lot of fun to make gifts for my blog readers that are tailored to their interests.  I think I might have to do a giveaway along these lines soon.  Keep an eye out for that soon.

52 Weeks of Happy (2/52)

How are we all today?  How has your week been?  Last week was pretty good here considering it was the first week back from holidays.  We are missing Corey now that he is back at work but it is nice to be in our own house again.  Here are a few things that have made me smile this week.

Hanging out with my mum and doing a bit of crochet.  My parents have the comfiest couch in the whole wide world and I love snuggling up in the corner with some crochet and chatting with my mum.

Starting my first cross stitch since I was in highschool.  I started this then frogged it so I could make it bigger and now I am very nearly finished.  I can't wait to share it soon.

The first catch up of the new year with my mothers group.  We have developed a lovely group of girls that I met at antenatal class and the midwives clinic who meet up once a week in a local park to chat.  It's so nice to be able to get out of the house and chat to some grown ups!

Freshly picked lettuce from my sister in law's garden.  We just happened to pop in to visit while she was out gardening and were given this little lettuce to take home.

Pretty pastel dresses and yellow toenails are the perfect way to brighten up your day!

The day I managed to fit back into my pre pregnancy jeans was probably the best day I had all week.  I was walking on a cloud for the rest of the day after trying these on.

This gorgeous view from the surf club where we were listening to my friend play a few tunes on Sunday afternoon.  It was also pretty cool to be able to take Imogen to listen to my friend play for the first time.  I think she was a fan!

I am so in love with our new dining set!  We have been meaning to get one for ages because we have broken a few pieces of ours and others have chips in them.  We were in Target on the weekend and saw this gorgeous set (the first set both Corey & I liked) and to make things even better it was on sale!

Spoiling my little monkey with new clothes is one of my favourite things.  I really need to learn to control myself in kids clothes shops.  The smallness of their clothes and the overwhelming cuteness make it had for me to control myself.

And it is a little bit sad how happy these last two pics make me but I love when everything is tidy and organised.  Yesterday I did a big clean and tidy out of my cupboard and came up with an idea of how to use the empty formula tins I had been hoarding.  I covered them in scrapbook paper and turned them upside down and now they hold my headbands.

So what has been making you happy this week?  Again I am playing along with Little Birdie if you would like to join in.

101 in 1001 Update

I thought it was about time I did an update on how my new 101 in 1001 list is going especially as this is going to be my focus this year rather than completing new years resolutions.  So here is where we are at at the moment.

Start Date - 6th September 2012
End Date - 4th June 2015

 

Items Completed - 13

          7 - Make Christmas stockings for me, Corey and Imogen - posted here
          11 - Make a jumpsuit/romper for me - yet to be posted.
          14 - Crochet a granny stripe blanket- posted here
          21 - Make homemade fudge - posted here
          25 - Make marshmallows - posted here
          28 - Make whoopie pies - posted here
          31 - Bake a pull apart loaf of bread - posted here
          32 - Bake a decent batch of scones - posted here
          37 - Make cookie mix jars for Christmas - posted here
          38 - Take Imogen to see the Christmas lights - never posted only instagrammed.
          39 - Make an advent calendar - posted here
          45 - Take Imogen to Melbourne - posted here
          86 - Buy glass drink dispensers - these were actually a Christmas present.

 

Items in Progress - 7

          10 - Make myself 20 new dresses (1/20)
          15 - Crochet 10 items off my ravelry queue (3/10)
          18 - Knit 10 items off my ravelry queue (1/10)
          29 - Try 50 new recipes (13/50)
          53 - Have 30 items of handmade clothing in my wardrobe (2/30)
          69 - Take monthly photos of Imogen's first year (3/12)
          88 - Have monthly date nights with Corey (3/34)

So where does that leave me.  Well 130 days have passed since I started my list (not including today) and I have completed 13 items.  So I have 88 items left to complete in 871 days.  That is one item completed every 9.89 days.  I think that sounds pretty doable.  My plan is to pick a few items to focus on for the next month and then try and reevaluate where I am at each month.  I think if I do that I should be able to cross off quite a few items this year.

 

3 Months

Miss Imogen actually turned 3 months on Wednesday and although I found time to take photos I couldn't motivate myself to post.  I am still dragging myself out of the post holiday funk.  I know I say this every month but I honestly can't believe it has been 3 months.  With Christmas, New Years and our trip to Melbourne the last month has just disappeared.  Imogen has really developed her personality this month.  She chit chats to anyone that will look at her for ages.  She has a lot to say!  I feel like she suddenly looks older as well this month.  When we got home from Melbourne I was looking at her and said to Corey that she looks older.  He of course thinks I am a nutter but her face has changed.  It made me feel really sad because it's the first time I have gotten that feeling that she is growing up and she isn't going to be my little baby for much longer.  It's bittersweet! I am excited to see her grow and change but I am sad that she will one day not be my little baby anymore.  Argh she is only 3 months! It's too early to be thinking like this.

52 Weeks of Happy

I just saw this 52 week project over on Coal Valley View and thought it would be a fun thing to join in with this year.  A great way to take time to appreciate the little things in life.  52 weeks of Happy is being run by Little Birdie if you would like to join in.  So every Tuesday (I'm a day late this week) I will be posting pics of a few things that made me happy that week.

1 - Imogen's first roll over from back to front.  She couldn't quite figure out how to get her hand out from under her but she was happy to just lie there once she rolled over.

2 - My new necklace I picked up in Melbourne from Aminalee.

3 - My 365 journal from Kikki.K.  I am really enjoying writing in this every day.  It's nice to have a place to jot down some thoughts.

4 - Zucchini & garlic and mangoes are my favourite foods at the moment.

So what is making you happy this week?

Looking Back on 2012

At the start of last year I set myself a few goals that I was hoping to achieve. Unfortunately, not all of these were completed but considering a chunk of my year there was no crafting due to morning sickness and then having a new baby I am very pleased with what I did manage to complete. Here is a quick look at my resolutions from 2012 and how I did.

The view of Woolgoolga beach over my 37 week pregnant belly.

Visit A New Part of Australia
While we didn't visit Perth or the Great Ocean Road this task did get accomplished. We visited Woolgoolga for the weekend in September to celebrate the 40th anniversary since my dad's family moved over from South Africa. More recently when we were in Melbourne we took a few road trips and visited the Yarra Valley, Red Hill & Portsea. I would still really like to see Perth and would also love to visit Tasmania so who knows maybe we will do one of those this year.

Gorgeous flowers in Eumundi on our weekend stay in Noosa.

Plan Some Weekends Away
Another tick here although we didn't do as many weekends away as I would have liked. We did a quick trip to Melbourne in March to celebrate my sisters birthday, another weekend to Woolgoolga in September as mentioned above and a weekend trip to Noosa for the Queens Birthday weekend. I love getting away for the weekend. It is always nice to get out of the house for a few days and do something different.

Sew 30 Items

Unfortunately, I didn't manage to sew 30 items this year but I did manage to make 23 items which I am quite surprised about. I didn't think I would get that close to my goal given I spent a lot of the year not sewing. I was also surprised because I thought most of my completed items would be for Imogen's nursery but I actually managed to make myself quite a few things as well. I think my favourite item's of the year were my sailor pants and my 70s summer dress.

Knit 15 Items
Fail! I only managed 5 items this year but I found my interest in knitting waning a little as my obsession with crochet takes over. I am pretty happy with the items that I did make though. My favourites would have to be the teddy bear and red cape I made for Imogen. I can't wait till winter so she can wear her cape!

Knit A Garment For Myself
This was an epic failure. I didn't even start knitting myself a garment. I did however buy the yarn to make myself a cardigan and found the pattern I want to use so now I just need to make it. Hopefully I will get it made before this winter.

Crochet 15 Items
Done! I really got into the crochet this year. I find it a lot faster than knitting so it has become my preferred craft. I find it a lot easier to crochet softies than to knit them and also assembly seems to be a lot quicker. As you can tell there are 3 projects not included in the above. That is because baby brain made me forget to photograph them. One was a brain sucker I made for a friend at work, another was a blue version of the owl rattles for my mums friend and the last was a phone cover that is so basic it is not even worth photographing.

Read 52 Books
I was really hoping I would get this one this year but again I didn't manage to reach it. In 2011 I managed to read 35 books but this year I managed 46. So even though I didn't reach my goal of 52 I did manage to beat my 2011 amount so I am pretty happy about that. I really like reading but sometimes I have to remind myself to read. I currently have a stack of books sitting on my dresser that I have borrowed or recently bought. I'm not sure how long it will take me to get through them but I am looking forward to reading them all.

Sew 10 Vintage Patterns
This was a massive fail! I didn't sew any vintage patterns this year at all. I did, however, buy a lot. I have quite the collection now and I have ideas for all of them so I am looking forward to making them this year. The good news is my first item for 2013 that I am halfway through making is from a vintage pattern so I am starting of the year well.

Exercise 3 Times A Week
Another fail! We never got back into exercising regularly after Christmas and New Year and just as we did get back into it morning sickness hit and didn't leave for 3 months. I attempted gyming a couple of times while pregnant but I just didn't have the motivation. We have started back a few weeks before Christmas and have been going well but I am easing myself back into it. 12 months of not exercising really wrecks your stamina. That first trip back to the gym was a killer!

Make Our House Feel Like A Home
I am giving this item a big tick! I love the way our house looks now that we have decorated a bit and put our own little touches on it. I am especially in love with Imogen's room. This year I would really like to give my sewing room a big clean out and finish decorating our bedroom.

This year I have decided not to do any resolutions and just focus on my 101 in 1001 list instead. There is one project that I have joined in for this year though and that is A Year of Giving which was thought up by Lilac Saloon. I am really looking forward to doing this this year. January's theme is comfort and I know what I am going to make I just have to do it. We are only 8 days into January so there is plenty of time for you to join in too if you like. Pop over here to read more.

Melbourne Via Instagram

Oh Melbourne! I miss you already.  We arrived home last night from a wonderful week and a half in Melbourne with my sister and her fiance.  We had so much fun and it went way too fast.  Here is a quick roundup of what we got up to via my iphone. 

 

Imogen did so well on the flight down.  We fed her on take off and she fell asleep.  She woke up with about 40 minutes left of the flight and spent the rest of the time hanging out with Corey.  Once we got to my sister's house we just lazed about and waited for her to get home from work.  That night we went to this cute little restaurant in St Kilda that has games that you can play while your there.  We had a game on Uno over dinner which was super fun.

Day two we ventured into the city for a bit of shopping and I just couldn't resist hunting out Tessuti Fabrics.  That shop is gorgeous and the staff were so lovely.  I could of hung out there all day but Corey and Imogen were getting a bit bored so we had to move on.  That night we met my sister and her fiance in the city and had dumplings for dinner. I love holiday food!

Day 3 took us to Queen Victoria Markets.  On the way we drove past this random house that has Pamela Anderson's face plastered on it.  Apparently it was built by Sam Newman.  We also took a detour via The Block.  We loved this show so it was cool to see the houses in person.  Queen Vic Markets are a feast for the eyes. I loved the colour in these flowers and macarons.  I also couldn't go by a spinach & cheese borek.  Delicious!!!

Day 4 we took a road trip out to the Yarra Valley.  The Yarra is such a gorgeous place.  We stopped in at a few wineries and did a few tastings before heading into this adorable little town for a wander around.  I love country towns!  They are so cute and fun to wander around and you always discover the greatest little treasures.

New Years Eve we hit up Brunswick Street during the day and I did a spot of shopping.  Brunswick Street is my favourite shopping spot in Melbourne.  There are so many cute shops and a heap of vintage.  Needless to say I bought a few too many things.  That evening we had a few drinks and some nibbles at home before venturing down to the park where we had a great view of the city skyline to watch the fireworks.  The fireworks from the city were amazing! A great first fireworks experience for Imogen.

 

New Years Day is the Hanging Rock Raceday so we took a trip out to watch the races.  It was a fun afternoon and a great setting.  It was all a little too tiring for Imogen who crashed out when we got home.  I also got to start my 365 diary that I bought on sale from Kikki.K.  I am hoping I can write in this everyday this year.  7 days in I am doing well so fingers crossed I can keep it up.

The next day we decided to have a slow day and start with a sleep in.  Then we ventured into St Kilda (which is where my sister lives) for some lunch and a wander along the beach.  That night we went to the Queen Victoria Night Markets.  The night markets are so much different to the day markets.  It is more unique crafty type markets with a few vintage stalls thrown in.  Then there is a massive food section and live music.  So everyone goes for the night for dinner and a few drinks and to watch the music.  It's a great idea and the perfect way to spend a summer night.  I had the most epic monster pancake in the whole world!  The literally use a bottomless cake pan as a mould to make the pancakes. They are giant and delicious! I think I need to recreate these at home somehow.

The next day we popped down to Brighton Beach for a swim and to check out the beach huts.  The huts are so super cute!  I love all the different colour schemes that people have chosen.  I would love to own one just so I could repaint it every summer. 

 

Friday was so ridiculously hot it was unbelievable!  We went into the city and spent ages roaming around Myer in the air con.  We also checked out their Christmas windows which were super cute but not at all what I was expecting.  We also saw this busker in the city who was playing a piano.  How the hell did he manage to get a piano into Queen Street???  I would love to know.

 

On Saturday we took another road trip.  This time we ventured out to Red Hill to visit the markets.  The markets were giant and loads of fun.  Afterwards we headed down to Portsea to go to the beach and have some lunch at the pub.  We walked in to see that Daryl Braithwaite was playing that afternoon so we hung around to watch.  It is actually the second time I have seen Daryl play.  It was loads of fun and the crowd when crazy when he sung horses.  

 

The last day in Melbourne was bittersweet.  We slept late, had a late brunch and hung around St Kilda. We got free ice cream in the park from Ben & Jerry's and then headed off to the airport.  It was a bit of a bummer to go home but it was loads of fun to spend time with my sister.  I just wish we could have stayed longer!