Random

The Smurf turns one on Saturday. I feel the cliche is warranted here - boy the time flies when you have a baby. Can't remember who said it to me, Di maybe, but especially in the early days the days are so slow but the weeks so so fast.


I just joined FBI. When we moved, leaving RRR behind was one of my (many) great sadnesses. However, I'm loving FBI and way way more than I did before we moved to Melbourne. I never got round to showing RRR my love by subscribing, so I'm pleased to have shown my love to FBI today. (I do still stream some of my fav RRR shows tho, thank you internets!)

The Smurf has a cold. A miserable, snotty, whingey, whiney cold. He refuses to eat and will only drink breastmilk, fresh squeezed orange juice and drink water from the 600ml pump bottle. Great. I managed to sneak a cheese roll on him this morning after seeing the Dr though and he obliged, much to the delight of everyone in Coles as there was much exclaiming of 'you're really enjoying that aren't you' as old ladies and geezers peered into the stroller at him.

I also resorted to using a hot chip as a spoon to sneak some pumpkin dhal into the Smurf at lunchtime. He fell for it, for the littlest while.

I've finished another first birthday quilt top. Can you spot the fark up?
Can someone please clean the bathroom? Please? I really don't want to do it. I hate cleaning the bathroom. Worst chore ever.

I'm really inexperienced at roasting chicken. There are 2 sitting in the kitchen awaiting my return after I post this.

I'm really pleased with myself for submitting to Mixtape Zine. My first ever craft related submission anywhere. Holy crap I love this zine.

My to-do list is scaring me this week. It's not the number of things it's the ridiculous details I've gone into...is it a little OTT to have a running list for a 1 year olds bday party? I think the inner-career woman in me is telling me to get back to the working world.

I'm very pleased to be the third ever Curly Pops customer. I'm shitty at my Mothers Group though - no one noticed my sweet new badge when I wore it there last week! In their defense overall they don't seem to be the craft appreciating types. My Melbourne Mum's Group on the other hand, now there's a Mum's Group.

It's really hard to take a photo of your new Curly Pops badge/brooch while wearing it.

I can't wait for Chutney Club! If you'd like to join I'll leave it open for another couple of days.
How can you say no to a couple of jars of homemade chutney/relish?

Organising your buttons is fun!


Some people are amazingly generous and will happily pay to send you half a kilo of fabric they picked up for a steal. It's for The Toy Society.


This time last year (in about 17 hours or so) my waters broke prematurely at 35 and a bit weeks. Predictably I didn't see it coming. I think it's time to write the birth story?

Edited to add: Has anyone been watching Breaking Bad? Americans you're probably episodes ahead of us, here we're just on Ep 2. It's pretty confronting but wow it is so good.

Let's Go Shopping

You love to shop, I love to shop, We all love to shop. So I thought I'd share somewhere I discovered (a while ago) that I think you might like.


Pene Durstan aka Miss Pen Pen is one crafty lady. Ahe's a bit of a Melbourne arts and crafts superstar. People everywhere seem to know her or know of her...well at least people I kept coming across. She opened Cottage Industry a little earlier this year on Gertrude Street in Fitzroy, Melbourne.

It's packed to the rafters with delicious hand crafted goodness. And it's all designed and made by Pene. I'm not sure how she finds the time between being a shop lady, being an academic lady as well as being an arts and craft lady, but she sure does. And not only that but she's a nice lady too. We went and said hello when we were in Melbourne last time and ended up chatting away.

Last year I was gifted a gorgeous Pene Durstan bag made from vintage teatowels. You can buy them in the shop as well as amazing angora gloves, swiss army blanket pouffes, skirts, tops, bangles and more including a lovingly nurtured and doily covered magnolia tree out the front!

So if you're in Melbourne go visit and if you're not, click on the cottage above to visit her online shop - which is a work in progress so if you see something on her blog you want to buy let her know!

Now, lets go shopping!

PS I've got another great place to tell you about but I lost their card and can't find them anywhere online right now! So, I better go back and visit again so I can share the shopping love. The shop is called Hullaballoo and it's in Newtown, Sydney if you're willing to try it out just because I said so?!