NIKKI-SHELL

Day 30-snap snap

I finally got around to sewing the eyes onto this snappy little fella last night and dropped him off at Mikes for the Mirabel Foundation.

I've been trying to use my Gocco this past week to make my Christmas postcards.  There was no pen in the box with the Gocco so i've been trying out numerous pens that could possibly have carbon in them but have discovered they don't which means i've wasted a few bulbs :(  Does anyone know of a pen that contains carbon that is easy to get hold of?  I want to get these postcards finished off this weekend and posted out on Monday, i'm already late but that's nothing unusual is it?

This is the last day of November which means i will no longer be posting daily.  I didn't find it too hard to post every day but there were a few days that i wondered what to write about.  I hope i didn't bore you all too much:)  I think i will continue to post regularly though, just not every day.

Day 29-Fairy ring

There are fairies at the bottom of our garden, did you know?  We made them a fairy ring tonight.

There is also a princess with an oversized dress and a bizarre looking Buzz that wears no pants, Pooh Bear wellington boots and a flowery sunhat.

A closer look at the bizarre Buzz (photo taken by Mia)

We ate dinner on the porch and stayed out playing games and watched the sky grow dark until 9pm when Kev arrived home from work.

Day 28-Com-pleat!!

My Liz blouse is all done and ready to wear.  I added a few inverted pleats to the princess seams in front, lengthened the blouse slightly and added some ties which i fastened to the side seams so they can be fastened in the front or back.  I'm pleased with how it turned out although i think i'd shorten the sleeves if i were to make it again.

You can read more about it here.  My next project will be trousers, those jeans i'm wearing are being help together with an elastic band!

I'm off to SnB tonight for the first time in well over a year!  Should be fun, i'll be crocheting some of the tea set and i plan on eating cake, i hope they have some nice ones.

Day 27-Assuming nurse

Mia had her 3 1/2 year check up with the nurse today.  The nurse asked me how long i had to go in my pregnancy and was shocked when i told her i'm 23 weeks.  She asked me if i have big babies (Mia was 7lb 9oz and Esme 8lb 2oz, is that big these days?) then assumed i will be having a c-section,  i told her i won't and both my previous births were natural.  I asked her why and she replied "because you're so small!".  She then asked me if i have epidurals, erm no i don't.   Why is it that it's expected of you to choose these things these days before even going into labour?  i would have thought that unless it's planned this way for the safety of yourself and your baby due to complications or whatever that you would decide these things as they need to be decided, in labour.  I'm not saying a woman shouldn't have a c-section or an epidural or anything else if it's needed but to assume i have planned this stuff because i'm small is just silly.  Just a little gas and air for me nurse.  The final straw was "So how's your pelvic floor dear?".
She asked me these same questions last time i saw her a month ago when Esme had her check up, strange woman!

Edited to say that i feel some of you may have misunderstood my post.  I am NOT at all against interventions such as epidurals and c-sections if they are needed and are used for the safety of mother and child and are decided by the mother and her own doctor/midwife.  My post was mainly pointing out the fact that this nurse does not know me, knows nothing of my medical or personal history but decided it was her place to ASSUME that i would be having these things done based on the fact that i am small framed.  If i need such an intervention when i give birth for the safety of myself and baby and it is discussed with me by my doctor or midwife that knows me and has all my medical notes then yes, i will be listening and i will take their advice.  I liken her to the total stranger in the supermarket that just HAS to touch your bump without asking and has all sorts of advice for you plus of course she just KNOWS what the sex of the baby is.  Yep, it seems you become public property when you become pregnant!
I have replied personally to all those that commented and I hope none of you were offended and hope this has cleared things up, phew!

Day 26-Friendship

Dictionary definition of 'Friend' n one well known to another and regarded with affection and loyalty

Synonyms of 'Friend'- chum, companion, comrade, confidant, crony, familiar, intimate, pal, partner

I'm not the kind of gal that has a large group of friends, i never was.  I prefer instead to have a handful of  really good friends and one or two best friends.  This group of friends may change over time as our lives head in different directions but a lot of these people i will stay in touch with in some way.  I feel a good friendship is based on the fact that you don't need to live in each others pockets to be good friends, you may not see each other or even talk to each other for a while but when you do it's like nothing has changed.  I have one such friend in the UK, Amber, we haven't seen each other since i moved to Australia over 3 years ago and we can go for a few months without any contact but when we do talk it's like we saw each other just a few days ago.  I miss her.

Now, one friend who's pocket i DO live in and she in mine is of course Justine.  We met online through our blogs much to the surprise of some when we tell them this story.  We've known each other for a year and a half or so and live around the corner from each other, we look after each other's kids, help each other out and have crafting and blogging in common which led to us starting Mixtape.  I think we see more of each other and each others kids than we do of our own husbands!  Justine's husband jokingly calls me her wife :)  We're an unusual combination, like chalk and cheese in many ways (we can drive each other crazy!) but oh so alike in many others, we balance each other out.  I think it's what keeps the friendship alive!

These are the kinds of friends I hold on tight to.

you can tell i'm pregnant and hormonal can't you? :)

Day 25-A few of my favourites

These are just some of my favourite blogs to read, some are all time favourites that i've been reading for forever, other's are newish to me. 

Tree Fall
Tiny Choices
Swallowfield
Soule Mama
Moonstitches
Craft
Jorth
Living the Good Life

Hope you enjoy reading :)

Day 24-cuppa tea luv?

I've been doing a little crochet this past week while watching movies in bed, Noise and Deathwatch.  I bought some crochet patterns for play food and a tea set on Etsy with the intention of having them made for Christmas for the girls.

So far i have the above teacup and saucer made for the tea set and a few sugar cookies.  My aim is to have the tea set ready for Christmas along with more cookies.  The fruits will most probably have to wait until the new year.  It took me a few attempts to work out the pattern for the cup (i was feeling a little rusty) but once i figured it out it was quick and easy to make.  I'm using yarns from my stash, not that it's much of a stash but since i never knit anymore, well nothing big (not enough time/too slow)  i figure i should be using up what i have rather than buying more.  The girls are going to LOVE this present and the best thing is it is only costing me the price of the pattern, everything else i have already.  And it's HANDMADE!  You gotta love that :)
Do you know of any playfood patterns that are sewn?  Like sandwiches and stuff?  I suppose i could come up with my own patterns but why make it hard on myself? :)      

Day 23-dead puter

My computer died :(  It was old and slow and i think i may have deleted something important needed for it to run.  Oh well, the perfect excuse to buy that much wanted laptop :)  YAY!  I bought one today, it was awful not having internet access, i don't know if i would have coped for much longer.  Thanks Jus for your help today :)
The downside is that i have heaps of photos and stuff on my old computer that i can't access unless i can get someone to fix it.
No pics today since i need to upload the software for my camera along with many other things.  At least i didn't miss blogging for Nablopomo!
Phew!

Day 22-Budding photographer

Some of Mia's shots

Happy Thursday!!

Day 21-BurdaStyle

This week i managed to pull my brain together and sew my Liz blouse in the correct size.  It turns out i HAD cut out the correct size last week for my muslin, what had happened though is that my printer settings had somehow been changed so printed the pattern out larger than it should have been.  Oh well.  So far i have the blouse mostly sewn up except for the inverted pleats that i intend to sew into the princess seams on the front.  I've started these just below the bust and am thinking of making them around 8-10cm wide.  Then it's just a matter of hemming the blouse and i can wear it.  I am thinking of adding a belt like band just under the bust which i will attach at the side seams.  Either that or using some pretty ribbon to tie all the way around.  What do you think?  Read my column here.

I'm taking part in the Lydia sewalong this month. I plan to alter the t-shirt into the v neck dress and i'll also add extra to the front for my bump.  I'll be using this red jersey fabric i've had sitting in my stash for who knows how long.

Oh, guess who got the Gocco to work this afternoon :)  My first attempt failed since i didn't use carbon pen/pencil to draw the image.  After re-reading the instructions i discovered a black crayon could be used so Mia drew a little picture and it worked!  She printed off a dozen or so prints onto some scrap card and was very pleased with herself.  She's been pestering me to have a go since i bought it.  I'm going to pick up a suitable pen tomorrow hopefully and get cracking on my postcard swap.  I LOVE gocco :)