NIKKI-SHELL

2010

Happy New Year! 

Yesterday i mentioned i wanted to share some dreams and goals with you.  I've learned from experience that making resolutions is a big waste of time.  Life changes, ideas change, wants and needs change therefore my plans will change.  So i thought i'd mention some dreams and goals i have right now, some are important and will need to be put into motion and others are just things i'd like to do.

• Homeschooling-We will be registering as homeschoolers this year.  This is one of those 'important things' on the list.  Although i work full-time, Kev is now the stay at home parent and between us we will research and put this into practice.  I'd say right now we are unschooling/eclectic/natural learners, we're still finding our feet and enjoying the process.  We're writing a blog as a record as well as keeping a written diary where we record books read, milestones achieved, trips taken etc.  Although only Mia will be registered this year we will be recording details for all three girls.
• Creating-Sewing is my passion.  I like to knit now and again and try my hand at other crafts but sewing is what i love!  I got back into sewing about 6 years ago when i was pregnant with Mia and upon arriving in Melbourne started this blog and became addicted.  In that time my sewing skills have improved a lot but i still feel i have room for plenty more improvement.  I'd like to practice the finer details more, pay more attention to the small stuff.  I'm going to spend time with my sewing books learning as many techniques as i can and implement these in my creations.  By now you should know that i don't buy any new clothing choosing to make it all or refashion secondhand.  I've decided to extend this to trying my hand at making underwear too, it can't be that hard can it?  I may even have a go at making my own bra's, i've heard there's a course i can do.  Who knows though maybe i'll only go as far as knickers ;)
• History-I've always loved reading about history, i love to lose myself in a good historical novel and I also love to watch anything set in times gone by.  I love the fashion, especially from the 40's and 50's and you may have noticed recently my obsession with styling my hair.  I'd like to delve into the history of fashion a little more, i already collect vintage sewing patterns and i intend to actually make up some of these this year.
• Yoga-is my exercise, my chill time, my stress relief, my cleanser and my me-time.  I wish to continue and improve, practice more and make it a ritual.
• Photography-I'd like to take more photos of daily life.  There's beauty in everything we see.
• Travel-2010 is the year my family will return to the UK for a visit.  We have lived in Australia for over 5 years without ever returning.  My brother is getting married and it seems the perfect time for a visit.  So, we'll be saving like mad, planning and getting excited.  There is so much we want to do while there, visit family and friends, show out girls the places where we grew up and lived, visit ASDA and other things we miss.  I'd love to catch up with some bloggers, maybe a bloggy meet somewhere?
• And most of all i want 2010 to be a happy, fulfilling, healthy and positive year.

What does 2010 hold for you?

The end of a pretty good year

2009 has been a very busy and interesting year for me.  I've accomplished so much more than i could have imagined.

• I took part in the Stitches and Craft Shows in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney which were amazing, I'm so glad to have been part of it and am now planning my time at the shows in 2010. 

• Wardrobe Refashion has continued to improve and grow with a presence at the Stitches and Craft Shows, a huge interest online and much media interest.

• I continued to work with BurdaStyle, this year expanding into promoting them here in Australia by representing them at the Stitches and Craft Shows, the Sustainable Living Festival, online and hosting a BurdaStyle Club in the Tessuti store.  It's coming up to 3 years since i started working with BurdaStyle, i'm really proud to be part of their team and i love how the site has grown since it's beginning, i'm looking forward to working with them more in 2010.

• I also started working at my favourite fabric store Tessuti starting part-time to begin with and moving into a full time position.  This meant a big change at home with Kev becoming a stay at home dad, it's been a big move and took a while to adjust but it all seems to be working out well so far.  I can't tell you how much i love working at Tessuti, it's the BEST job ever, i get to do what i love AND they pay me!!  How cool is that?!  And of course they're a great bunch to work with.

•  In September we moved house, we ventured to the 'other side' of the Yarra river.  It was hard work with three kids and little help and the months after the move were tough, we had a pretty shitty time with sickness, financial issues and it took a while to get settled into the new place.  We got through it though and looking back it wasn't as bad as we felt it was at the time but when everything happens at once it can feel like the world is against you and it wears you out.  I drove that truck to the new place 3 times!

• I've created many handmade items this year, mostly quilts and clothes.  I feel that my skills have improved immensely, i've learned (the hard way) to make a muslin for garments with a tailored fit and am always pleased with the results when i do so.  I've also learned to take....my.....time with the finer details, measuring and marking all details precisely, hand stitching those hems etc. 

• Some friendships have changed, some have become stronger, new people have come into my life, old friends have re-entered.  I feel content with these changes, lives change, people change, I've changed.  We all move in different directions in our lives and hopefully those friendships i miss and that matter will come full circle and we'll pick up again some time in the future.

• Family life has been full and adventurous.  Kev and I have grown closer together, more so since we've swapped rolls, i think we have a new found respect for each other knowing how hard it is to be in 'each others shoes'.  It's not been easy but at the same time it has been most enjoyable.

I'll be back tomorrow, the first day of 2010 to share some of my dreams and goals with you for the coming year.  Until then i'd like to share some photos with you taken over the past year and wish you all a very Happy New Year.  Enjoy your celebrations whatever they may be and stay safe.xxx

"Picnik Show"

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Sponge Rollers

As you may have noticed i've become a little obsessed with creating different hairstyles now that my hair is long.  For Christmas i was gifted some sponge rollers which were on my Santa list :)

Last night i tried them out for the first time, i rolled my slightly damp hair in large and small rollers using the smaller at the top then i slept in them.  Man i don't know how my Nana Betty did this every night, they were pretty uncomfortable but i suppose if you do it often enough you get used to it.  I also added a little 'Curl Flex Shine Creme' to each section of hair before rolling to help keep the curl for longer.

This morning i removed all the rollers.  The curls from the larger rollers were large and bouncy and one even dropped straight out but the smaller rollers created very tight curls that bounced right back towards my head.  I think I'd have been better off using the same size all over my head except for the fringe because my hair was tightly curled on top but loose and more wavy on the longer ends.  So, i decided to have an up-do and used this YouTube video as a guide (yes, i've been spending a LOT of time on YouTube recently :) 

This is how it looked at 6pm tonight after a full and very busy day at work.

 

(thanks to the stranger who took my photo!)

I think i need to have some layers cut into my hair, it seems to be too heavy otherwise and maybe grow my fringe a little.  I'll be practicing some more and trying other styles.

I've noticed a few others around Blogland trying new things with their hair too.

Heidi braids

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!  We've had some lovely family time this past few days, it was our intention to spend our time at home doing as little as possible this year it being our first time not spent with friends and as little as possible is what we have done! 
We gave minimal gifts which turned out to be 'just enough' to keep the girls happy. 

Today the girls and I spent the morning braiding our hair. 

Unfortunately Heidi's hair is  not quite long enough yet for Heidi braids but she still looks super cute :)

I used this video tutorial....

Mia and Esme wore their new dresses I made for them today.

Pattern: New Look 6882

Fabric Mia: Japanese cherry blossom cotton-Unfortunately out of stock

Fabric Esme: Edo Jam

Details: I made version B but omitted the binding on the neck and sleeves instead using elastic to gather.  I also left out the elastic on the hem.  This is a quick and easy pattern which i will use again and I'll try version D too.  They take very little fabric, around 70cm or so, remnants are perfect!

Wishing you all a very merry Christmas.....

.....i know ours will be with these three munchkins!

Mia & Bella

We visited the girls at Ink & Spindle this past weekend.  I had totally forgot that Tegan has a dog and Mia is petrified of dogs.  As soon as we went inside Bella ran up to greet us and Mia clambered up my leg in horror.

After a chat and a little time Mia soon realised Bella was very friendly and only wanted to play.

She talked about Bella all the way home. :)

Tessuti Christmas Party

Last night i headed out to my work Christmas party at Seamstress.  Very appropriate don't you think?

The food and wine was delicious, the company delightful and the conversation plentiful.

It was a requirement that we make an outfit from Tessuti fabrics.  I decided on another Jenny skirt this time in a beautiful orange cotton/elastane blend and a top made from an old Simplicity pattern in 'Coloured Sugar'.

Oh and for those of you wondering about how my hair turned out after pincurling it.....it looked faaaabulous!  My girls said "WOW" and Kev's eyes almost popped out.  Then i had to walk to the train station in the rain :(  By the time i got to the City all the curls had gone and i hadn't taken a picture before i left home.  I had used an umbrella so it didn't get wet, but the humidity obviously didn't help one bit.  I have a feeling my hair may be too long for the curls to stay or i need to use some kind of product (other than hairspray) to help make them last.  Any suggestions?  I'll be experimenting more.

Pincurls

I hope they work!  You'll find out if they did tomorrow :)

I used this tutorial.

Jenny

I've been wanting to make a pencil skirt for some time.  Of course it would have been pretty easy to just draft up a pattern myself but with work, kids and life happening there wasn't much chance of me getting around to it anytime before Christmas (or any time after that!).  BurdaStyle must have known this and produced the Jenny skirt pattern just for me (or so i'd like to think).

Just in time for my work Christmas party outfit!  So, i decided to make a test run using some 'Swimming Paisley' fabric i've had stashed for a while.  I made it up in an evening then wondered the next day why i had excess fabric around the tummy.  It took me a while to realise i had forgot the darts, can you believe it?  So i unpicked the waistband and added the darts.

Lisa told me i looked like a spy this afternoon....

Ha!  Oh and i went shoe shopping today and bought TWO pairs, both the same but in different colours...

I've made another Jenny skirt already in Orange cotton elastane.  I'll be showing you after our Christmas party on Thursday night.

Playing shop

Thursday morning Esme came into work with me.

She was so excited to be 'going to work' that she failed to tell me she was feeling unwell.  She had a hot chocolate, went to the bank with Lisa, went through a few revolving doors and when she came back promptly vomited all over the floor!  Thankfully nowhere near any fabric.  Once she had finished she continued as though nothing had happened while i mopped up the mess.  As a result both she and Heidi spent the next few days like this....

A tip from a homeschooling Mum we were supposed to be catching up with at the weekend seemed to do the trick (thanks Laura!).  Mia and I walked to the local health store to pick up some 'Brauer Stomach Calm' passing a pretty cool skateboard party on the way where they had a DJ and a van set up with computer games for the kids to play.

Early nights for them both and they now seem to be as right as rain and fingers crossed nobody else catches it.

Today was Mia's turn to come into work with me.  She spent the time playing shops.

I bought 'fagric' and Lisa bought a zip :)  I'd better watch out, she may be after my job!