NIKKI-SHELL

Taking part and listening

Today i'm taking part in Fi's 'What you wearing Wednesday'.

Green summer dress bought for $6 at my local op shop.  It was a size 14 which is too big for me but it was too pretty to leave in the shop so i brought it home, added a few darts in the back and shortened the straps and that's it, it fits!  It's comfortable and floaty, just what i like in a summer dress.  I could do with a bra that holds up the girls but doesn't show under such dresses.  It's hard to find something like that when you're baby feeding but i have a feeling those days are numbered.  I'll be sad when that day comes and i know it's not far off, in fact if i wasn't so selfish i think she'd be done already, i enjoy that little bit of time snuggling with her and her watching me but she wants more than i have to give which is hard since i fed Esme until she was 15 months old and had plenty of milk but this little one is like her oldest sister and very independent, she wants more and is happy to go with formula.  So long nursing bras, hello sexy undies!!!

I'm listening to 'My family and other animals' by Gerald Durrell on audio book and really enjoying it.  I never did read it at school and Claire mentioned it a few weeks ago on her blog so i thought i'd check it out.  I also just finished listening to Philippa Gregory's 'The Other Queen', i've always read her books rather than listen to them on audio book so maybe this is why i thought it was just ok.  It didn't seem as meaty as the others, and i've read them all.  Would i have had a different opinion if i'd read it from the book? who knows.

I rearranged half the house today because you know, i have nothing else to do with myself (ahem), only heaps of sewing, a zine to collate and three girls and a husband to take care of.  I will show you more details when all is tidy but i will tell you my sewing room has moved...and it's bigger!!!!! YAY

Amitie VIP

Hello oh neglected blog, where did the week go?  Oh yes, it went by in a flash full of looking after family, sewing for articles, zine collating, putting together the new KIDS issue, yoga and all that other regular daily grind you don't come here to be reminded of.

A little Amitie delight arrived in my mail box this past week and oh i'm in love, can you really be in love with a fabric?  Oh i think you can!
Now i'm not usually big on pink, having 3 little girls i see enough of it and when going to Molly's PINK 4th birthday party last week i realised i do not own one piece of clothing that is pink,I wore pink ribbons in my hair instead .  This though, oh it's delightful!  and i'm thinking up all kinds of ways i can use it.  It is from the Ginseng collection by Joel Dewberry, check out the full range on the Amitie website.

I called into Amitie this week and was overwhelmed by the rest of the range, there are some gorgeous patterns and it took all my strength to come away without some, i want to plan first.  Maybe a new cover for my doona?  Patchwork style?  With matching pillow covers?  Oh i'm getting excited!!!!!!  Can you tell????  Are there enough exclamation marks???!!!!

I'm off to plan, and try to find some time between now and the new year to make this possible.  All night sewing maybe?  Does anyone want my kids for a week...or two?

A night with a tall blonde!

On Thursday Jus, Fi, Nic and I jumped on the train and headed into the City for an evening with Amy Butler.

There were goody packs for each of us.

She seemed very comfortable in front of so many people and answered the questions thrown at her with much ease.  She showed us a slideshow of her work and home which inspired me.  Since moving to Australia we've not bothered much with interior decoration in our homes, we rent and have moved 3 times in the 4 years we have lived here.  It all seemed like too much effort but after listening to Amy talk and seeing her photographs i feel inspired to make more of an effort and cosy my home up in a way i can while renting.  I'm thinking of new cushion covers and finishing my quilts at least.

Justine and I picked up copies of her latest book 'Little Stitches for Little Ones' and had them signed.

Oh and we had to have our photo taken with her.  Of course we had to have it taken sitting down since she is over 6 feet tall!  I really should have got a pic of me standing next to her showing the difference in height, i'm 5'2".

We also got to meet up with some fellow bloggers, Kitty, Louise, Cathy, Kylie, Nikki, Lara, Shannon, Jhoanna and Jenny from Amitie.  I think we need to do something like that again but with more time for us to chat!
Thanks to Angela for all her hard work :)

This makes me smile :)

Conscious Style

Today, Sunday the 9th of November is Conscious Style Day at the V&A in London.  If you are in London i recommend you check out the events they are hosting.  Unfortunately i now live on the other side of the world so can't make it and for those of you in the same position you can check out their website for more goings on including my interview.

You should also check out the girls at Junky Styling, Annika Sanders and Kerry Seager.  They have a great how to showing us how to make a side way jumper with more how-tos being posted in the next week.
Oh, you should also take a look at the free couture dress pattern, i'm in love!!!! and the free Rowan knitting pattern :)  There is so much on the site you could easily lose yourself there for a day.

I just love it!

Oh yes, my favourite thing to do on a Saturday morning is to be on my hands and knees, rubber gloves on cleaning up the disgustingly horrid liquid shit that Heidi has kindly donated all over the carpet, then crawled in to spread as far as she possibly could.  And i'd only just taken off her nappy 2 minutes before and left her to 'get some air!' while i made a cup of tea.  Oh yes, and all of this happened before 8am and after i had been peed all over in bed by Esme.
Don'tcha just LOVE kids!?

A new pet

Meet Fifi, Esme's new doggy.  She recently came to live with us and after a quick check up with the vet we have discovered that she is expecting puppies.  We're a little unsure when they are due, it all depends on how busy Mammy is :P

You can find the pattern here.

Aaaaaand she's off!

She has started crawling, comando style.  I'm amazed at how far she can get already since she started last week.  Now nothing is safe and i need to check her mouth every five seconds for small objects.

Oh and the computer didn't make it.  May it rest in peace!

You must be effing kidding me!!!!

Did i do something to deserve this?   Really, did I?  Because i can't remember doing anything unjust, anything (too) wrong that i should have to put up with this.  Esme chucked again this morning, once and seems to be fine again.  The thing that's pissing me off is that she aimed perfectly for my FUCKING computer!!!!!  Yes the one we just got back from being repaired the other day!!!!!!  I'm just thanking my lucky stars that i had taken all my work from that computer and put it onto the new one and that it wasn't the new one she chucked on, I would have had the biggest fit of mankind if that had happened!

Note to self:Buy external hard drive asap!
Note to sickness:FUCK OFF!

(excuse the language but in real life i do use those kinds of words, especially this morning.  UGH!)

Mixtape Zine-Kids Issue

Available to pre order NOW!!  Head on over to our store to order your copy.  Due out December 1st.

Cover artwork by the lovely Claire (aka Loobylu)