sewing up a storm

not sure what has hit me the last few weeks - mostly its been agreeing to co-hold a stall in the local market coming up - but my sewing machine is runinng hot and the quick-un-picker even hotter...

I find that I get far more achieved if I have a really lose idea before I begin a project and let the process shape it rather that become a slave, to the chased after perfection that patterns seem to make me become - so freeform sewing projects have been churned out and some of them are working out great and others not so great - they are put back in the pile for a good frowning session, to hopefully be turned into something else later.... here are some of them.

High waisted skirts for my big girls (so simple to make I wondered why I waited SO long)...wee hand appliqued bambis and bunnies on cushions, spring sweet skirts, and aprons...a blanket or 3, some boy pants and a small amount of cable knitted soft, soft scarves. (am teaching myself to cable knit so these might nOt make it to market yet)...its been fun, and although I can feel this urge dwindling a wee bit, its not the end yet....fun fun!

a wee bit of culture

in the school holidays just been, we took the children to the Auckland Museum for a bit of culture and exploration. I so love how these places cater for everyone, the children's area was as enthralling as the rest of the sprawling fabulousness....we spent most of the day here and so didn't cover eveything....it was wonderful and well worth the hour long traffic que to go home (making it a 3 hour trip - oiy!)....a few random pics....

ta-da!

the finished zinc etching is up and and the wall - YAY. Was such a lovely process to go through - and depsite its many flaws - this wee piece of art represents so many things to me - so on the wall it goes (for a little while anyways).

oh, and those sweet babes - they're all mine, a whole lot of deliciousness goin on there - all pics were taken when each of them were 14 weeks old.....such wonderful treasures.

fridge talk

seriously don't like cleaning.....love walking into a fresh smelling orderly home, with baking done and dinner on.....and I did, nearly everyday of my life until.... I left home - hmph. Now I am (and have been for a million years) that magic fairy - but one seriouly lacking in magic dust!....I spent a few days with my mum over the school holidays...you open the fridge to find the milk, and you go 'huh? did she buy a new fridge?', its THAT clean! This is what the rest of her home feels and looks like too - I must confess a favourite wee game of mine is 'hide her duster' or 'untuck the corners of her bed'....she loves been wound up - and I'm so the chick for that job - teehee.

As kids (4 of us), our home was always tidy and clean, and yet I remember having a whale of a time playing and making mess, so she mustv'e had super powers is all I can think of!....Everything was ironed - undies and all! well maybe not undies, but I bet she thought about it!.... I just can't seem to do it the same, and get rather cross with myself about it - in saying that, I bet if I stopped bloggin about it and cleaned the jolly bathroom, it would be clean too!

So in comes the coversation I had with my fridge - I thought well 1 spot in the house can be like mum's, and maybe the rest will follow suit??? (good thought huh!)...

'so fridge, you're gonna get anew look'. "Huh! whas wrong with the way I look!" fridge snapped. "well I don't like to mention your odour or lack of cleanly charms, but a wee wipe out might make you feel good...hmmm, with a splash of lemon or vanilla if you want, hmmm?"...."rude person!" shouted the fridge back!...well you can just imagine the wrestling match that followed, door shelves taken off, and plunged in hot water....wire racks scrubbed with a brush (fridge was heard giggling at that!)....and the forcible removal of all suspicious looking characters and their funky friends....tossed. My fridge emerged from all this, gleaming and white...shaking off the excess water and staying very still for a wipe over with vanilla....'Well done fridge" I congratulated....Fridge preened and had to admit its makeover was rather charming.....

....hmmm, I might just have to repeat this ya know, one of these days - it makes the rest of the house look like a poor relation....sigh. I think I have started a nasty trend, but knowing me the good thing is, that it won't last too long!

emergency team

tonight my 3rd baby had a spinning accident - he and his brother were goofing around in the kitchen - in the semi-dark, and he spun and fell into the corner of their wee table - putting his tooth almost thu his lip - not quite tho, thank the Lord.

I am amazed at the hundreds of thoughts that whizz thru your mind in a nano-second..and so thrilled that my family pull together and everyone finds their - 'emergency role'. Its terrifying seeing so. much. blood.

And I feel myself nearly overwhemled with panic, and then everyone looks at me - to me - expecting that I'll know what to do, and direct them. As a mum I'm screaming in my head 'My baby, my baby'- doesn't matter which kid it is....and then with everyone looking at me, it seems to steady me, I find my role as 'director of operations' and an eery calm settles - knowing that there will be tears - but they have to wait. The Man, 90% of the time, reaches the kids hurt first...his role seems to be scoop them up, cradle them close and put pressure on where-ever needed...talking soothingly the whole time. My role then comes in, with 'Josaye, a cold flannel', 'Nyah find me the ice'....Josaye comes back and then has to find arnica...etc etc...Micah, 'hop out of the way and rub your brothers leg', and as a Mum you find your hands are fluttering everywhere, adding more pressure, rubbing a small back, pouring medicine, getting the kid into a better position to see what exactly is broken, or where the blood is gushing from.....while talking soothingly and confidently (whilst quaking inside).... a doctor is phoned and consulted, pain relief administered and a sweet boy who is in so much pain, is still confident that he will be fixed and ok, his family are there with him, and he is safe.

I am so relieved that he will be fine in a few days, just swollen and blue and sore for a bit - its an accident that most kids have at some point, but that doesn't make you feel any better about it...my poor 12 year old said' Mum its my fault I should've reached out and caught him'.....so sweet, and how we all feel, but as I told her its just one of those things, and nobody's fault - well except the tables!....sometimes the safety net doesn't catch us, but we sure love watching this 'emergency team' spring in to action, squabbles forgotten, tea towels dangling from hands ....all to find our place for the 'man down'.... I love this bunch!

MORE MAKIN` STUFF

the males in the house have been busy beavers in the building department - whoohoo, we now have some wonderful new bench pew seat in the kitchen - which just made life a whole lot easier for accomodating people at the table, which is where we spend ALOT of time at, eating, creating and crafting....and playing cars on!

And also have made the midget a weeny bed to graduate from his cot (boohoo - sob - sniff)...a day I have been dreading as for the first time in 12 years we have no-one in a cot, or about to have a wee one to go in a cot....very sad. Anyho, what better way to start this process than a Daddy designed and made bed....that Micah got to help build! way cool!! and very lovingly painted by me and his Dad, in a rather bright blue (gulp, so should've stuck with white...but it does suit my wee blue-eyed boy). That lovely crotched blanket is made by my Mum - so cool, and the little glove dog was made by me, as are the wee cushions etc.

May your dreams be warm and sweet our treasure.

Easter cookin`

we had a wee easter children's party at our place....and so I got to make some cool custard parfaits in pretty glasses with long handled spoons.....and I decided on making Easter chocolate nests, with weeny eggs...super easy, and a great baking project for kiddos.

Bird Nests

2 tblsp golden syrup

75 g melted butter

75 g sugar

75 g cocoa

80g shredded wheat (I actualy used crushed weetbix and this was fine)

melt the butter and golden syrup, add all the rest.....and mix! Now line 5 smallish bowls with tinfoil, and press the mixture evenly into them, building up a wee nest shape...into the fridge to set, and hey presto you're done! Pop some wee eggs in and you have a lovley wee treat/gift.

Easter begins with new life

Easter is a special time of giving thanks in our family....thanks for Jesus` giving His life for ours....I usually try and make it an 'EVENT', although the energy levels this year are a bit low! Simple is my friend this year!

This week the kids and I dyed some eggs for our table centre display, and I made a felt 'we give thanks' banner. ... we have some art on the table ready to be done, and some stories to be read, snuggled under a blanket to be had shortly.

We are off to a community Easter Egg hunt shortly...which is a new thing for us....tonight we are going to have a simple and heartfelt 'Shabbat' dinner with our sweet children, we are hosting a brunch and smallish children's Easter party tomorrow night; on Sunday we will do our traditional Egg hunt, and family Easter story telling night, and Monday will hopefully be spent sitting on the beach or in the bush, or in bed!(er last one is, NOT likely, but a wonderful thought!)... so a few things for us all to look forward to.

I encourage anyone who might read this, to read the Easter story - you are a treasured and dear jewel - enough to die for, enough to give hope to. Bless ya. x