♪ Animal crackers in my soup.. ♪

I didn't quite comprehend how much this wriggly bump of mine is slowing me down until I realised I am posting about our weekend....on Wednesday night! I have always been one to go at lightening speed but finally feeling at home in this role of stay-home-Mumma I am learning to slow down....a wee bit anyway ;) Pancakes with natural yoghurt and stewed berries...yum!

A fresh batch of washing powder...trying a new recipe and so far loving the results...

And a trip to a gorgeous animal sanctuary for our nature loving poppet.

She could have spent all day here wandering amongst these sleepy creatures....delighting at their ear twitching, tummy scratching and hop..hop...hopping!

All aboard the log express! Isn't imagination such a magical thing. Always portable, costs nothing and can make fun out of anything...and melt the odd heart too.

Have been sorting (and making more trips to the Life Line bin than Hubby knows!) and de-cluttering.....missing my crafting though. Think I need a slow day tomorrow....just me, my girl and maybe a lunch time date with Jan. We haven't caught up for ages!

Living the Good Life

Feeling a wee bit caged in this week, we heralded the arrival of the weekend with brunch at a favourite café and a much needed, soul replenishing potter around a favourite antique-y haunt....

Doing my very best not to fall for these puppy dog eyes! Thinking poppet really needs a vintage pyjama bag in the shape of the cutest canine.... hoping he'll still be there next time.

Sighing with pleasure as I soaked in all this gorgeousness. Hot choccies with marshmallows (note the plural!) and vintage china...ain't life grand!

The thrill of drinking from a water bubbler....

Making pizzas with Daddy....

Liberally sprinkling fresh spinach from the garden...her guzzling whole anchovies straight from the jar....me feeling that chill up my spine each time I think of her munching away in delight!

Finishing off a wee baby quilt for a dear friend's new little man.....

Avoiding eye contact with this lovely and being such a strong girl not even opening the package a sliver....

Putting these gals first. Repeating mantra..."I must finish the other sock, I must keep painting the chairs, I must finish the other sock, I must keep painting the chairs!"...

Shooing this crafty fellow out of our potato patch...and then briskly turning on my heel as he chased after me....coming to the long overdue conclusion that birds and I will never be kindred spirits!

Gorging on sticky buns late Sunday afternoon (their rising time took a wee bit longer than anticipated). Deciding that oodles of butter, sugar, cinnamon and a sweet bread dough washed down with milky tea can indeed comprise a well rounded evening meal?

What did you and your loves enjoy on the weekend?

My Creative Space - A Little Ray of Sunshine ♪

♪ A little ray of sunshine...has come into the world. ♪

♪ A little ray of sunshine...in the shape of a girl. ♪

♪ She can make you feel good..she can make you feel that it's all worthwhile...only by her smile. ♪

This song was chosen for me by my own Papa bear when I was born and it has been the tune I've hummed over and over whilst stitching together the vintage sheet top for mon petit poppet's big girl bed quilt. I have heard it a million times and it never fails to make me smile..and get a wee bit misty eyed.

Much love to you my girl, and to my wonderful dad (who had a very similar moustache and beard combo at the time of my birth...trés chic!)

Creative magic at work here.

Living the Good Life

Stacking this delicious old kitchen hutch with equally delicious old fabrics and bits and bobs of loveliness....

Replenishing our eco-friendly house cleaning kit....

Marveling at the wonder of steel wool and how with some gentle yet forceful scrubbing I willed this miraculous op shop bargain back from the corroded edges of death....

Pondering which of these Nana inspired treats to concoct first....

Strutting around proud as a peacock wearing my one completed sock...and casting on the second soon after before the desire to complete the pair abandons me altogether....

Zhooshing up an old wooden outdoor setting with a lick of paint in my favourite hue....

Making fuchsia pink berry smoothies with my bunny girl.... and getting lost in those eyes...

And relishing a perfect Devonshire tea made by my man....what a gem!

Hoping your weekend was a delightful one :)

A Market...and Some New Mademoiselles!

I'm donning my Winter garb tomorrow and setting up shop at the Brisstyle Indie Designer Markets on Racecourse Road at Hamilton. I'd love for you to come and say hi if you're in the neighbourhood. There is always such an array of handmade magic and what with shopping up a storm and chugging down my fuel du jour..hot choccies, I often spend more than I make!

And who happened to pop into my stock bags...but these new pink versions of my mademoiselles. Perhaps not as showy as their red and navy cousins but chic nonetheless n'est pas?

Making me smile today....

Freshly washed vintage serviettes blowing in the breeze in the Winter sunshine....reminding me of cosy dinners with my loves!

On a far less cheery note....is anyone else having trouble commenting?! I have some beloved blogs that I pop into every day but blogger won't let me comment (and I can't email them to tell them ...boo hoo!). It seems to be the ones with the comment box embedded into the post. Some lovelies have changed their comment box to a pop up menu and that seems to fix things every time. Thanks so much! Don't want to hassle you into changing but would hate to think you're missing out on lovely warm wishes! And we all love to share those :)

My Creative Space - A Tee pee

I must admit I'm a wee bit embarrassed to share this post. Yes, the tee pee turned out lovely but the "give me a medal for the worst Mumma in the world" part is that it was made last October and has been sitting folded up in my craft cupboard awaiting some teensy (and I mean teensy!) finishing touches. Oh the shame!!!

This project was unearthed in the bowels of my craft cupboard as this "growing bigger by the minute" black duck (sorry, couldn't use little cause it just ain't true!) is in a nesting frenzy trying to empty our spare room for poppet . It's a larger room and perfect for a big sister. Come to think of it...it was perfect for a crafty space come office, come library, come place where I could sit in the afternoon sun and have a cuppa....sob, sob, sob!

So without any fanfare nor great unveilings I simply finished it off (the work of minutes I tell you!!) popped it up in the backyard and called mon petit poppet over to investigate. It didn't take her long before a tea party was being held in honor of a few celebrity friends.

Thanks to my Momle these dolls have been christened Meryl, Oprah and Goldie respectively i.e. Meryl Streep, Oprah Winfrey and Goldie Hawn! And you wonder where I get my hair brained ideas from.....

A cup of tea for you by dear friend "Me-wyl"....no problems!

Down the hatch old girl...insert slurping noises and contented sighing. Mmm...note to self, stop slurping mouthfuls of tea and following each one with a satisfied ahhhh!

For poppet's tee pee I used the pattern from the Crafty Minx book by Kellie Doust and some pretty vintagey style fabric from the abyss otherwise known as Spotlight.

For other I'm sure, "up to the minute" creative projects come and check out these wonders. I'm off to scoot away the Daddy long legs off some more U.F.Os lurking in the depths of my craft cupboard....and maybe slurp my way through a cup of tea or two...ahhhhh!

Going to Monty's

One of mon petit poppet's favourite outings is to a restaurant..no surprises there considering this little munchkin has vacuum cleaner like tendencies when it comes to food. And on the top of her list is Montezuma's (or Monty's to us), a Mexican restaurant exploding with colour and taste sensations.

When asked what she was doing at her little table and chairs this morning as she sat Oliver (her teddy) and friends down she nonchalantly replied, "going to Monty's". How could I resist! Together we listed some menu items. Poppet suggested them, I wrote them down and then she drew a picture to help Oliver choose. We made tortillas by tracing around plates and cutting them out....

And then we played! Mmm what a delicious warm tortilla!!

Perhaps I'll fold it up like a burrito....

Some water for you Big teddy? Oliver, how is your enchilada?

And a top up after a little bit too much spicy cheese dip.

Such a simple, inexpensive game that amused my girl and I daresay me, for hours.

Perhaps we'll head out for curry tomorrow!