sydney opera house

there's something about the pointy peaks of the opera house that make me feel like I've come home.

Today is the first day of mid-year school break so we ventured to the big smoke for a day of exploring (we're about an hour & a half north of Sydney). Beautiful sunny day ... it looked so promising!  Unfortunately my daughter fell over & grazed her legs before we had even made the train so it seemed to set the tone for the coming hours. Missed trains, pushy pedestrians with no thought of small kids in prams, & an hour wait for the right ferry began to get the better of me.

Finally we boarded the beautiful old ferry (well, I think they're beautiful in an industrial kinda way) & used the right handshake to gain access to the wheel room (aka where the captain steers the ferry).  Big special treat!  Then my 'sunny' eldest daughter decided she'd spend the entire trip sitting on the floor, refusing to look at anything outside the window, let alone sit in the captains chair to steer the boat. Grrrrrrrrrrrr!  Thankfully my youngest LOVED the experience & had a blast with Captain Feathersword.

Two hours later, back at home, hubby asks "What was your favourite part of the day". Miss Sunny replied "Going to the toilet".

Just one of 'those' days!

Bad day aside ... I do really love the Opera House & being out & about on the harbour.  Here are a few handmade Opera House finds for those who share my love ....

1. Pen & ink sketch by AlikellyArt 2. Australia cities badges by Parsnip & Pear; 3. Kitch cushion by SugaKusha 4. Wall decal by Modern Designs28

NEW - ivory & lace flower girl dress

Oh so quiet from me of late but for good reason!  I've had quite a number of custom orders to work with plus one big wholesale order on the go.  Can't wait to share the details on them all - especially a turquoise feathered flower girl dress which is proving loads of fun!  Plus I threw hubby a surprise birthday party and have been preparing my eldest daughters party for tomorrow night. Busy busy busy ... and loving it.

Loving the sunny (but cold) days too. So much so that I procrastinated making the birthday cake by visiting our beach with gorgeous Lila who is nearly 2.  She proved such a wonderful model & I can't wait to steal her again another day!

This new dress is made from super soft, ivory lace with a smooth, chiffon lining. Love the dotted sleeves & frills too.  I think it would make a gorgeous dress for a flower girl, birthday or christening ... or just because you love to dress your kids in beautiful clothes!  Looks great with different coloured sashes too.

Contact me for orders :)

new floral dress!

i had fun with this little dress.  I was in a bit of a creating mood but didn't want to spend all day gazing at my fabric stash, trying to pick which material to use.  So, close the eyes, reach in & pull out this gorgeous shimmering chiffon fabric with delightful floral blooms.

Love how the shade of ribbon brings out the subtle blue leaf pattern behind the blooms.

Available at Little Kiwis Nest (for NZ) or Etsy (for rest of world) or simply email me at littleteetee@hotmail.com.

Thanks for stopping by!

the queens birthday long weekend!

and who wouldn't love an excuse for an extra day to spend with friends & family?!?

Can't say I'm obsessed with the royal family these days but I do remember being in awe of Princess Diana back when I was little.  I had loads of little books on her & would love visiting my great Aunt in Brisbane who had boxes & boxes of magazines with photos of Diana in them.  And then to be able to watch her wedding ... well, that just made my little world!

We let our 2 daughters stay up to watch the next installment of royal weddings - yep, Prince William & Kate - & I think they are now totally obsessed.  The squeals of delight can be heard across the country whenever they spy a magazine with the couple blazoned on the cover.  So cute to watch & reminisce.

So the Queens birthday weekend is approaching & all I can say is God Save the Queen ... & then share some really cute royal creations with you!

1. Keep Calm & Wear your Tiara card by Sweet Pea Ink; 2. Crown brooch by Not by Amber 3. Royal Guard by Our Shabby Collage 4. Crown hair tie by Mae Mae Designs

And if your little one needs a pretty princess dress for a special occasion ... don't forget to visit me HERE!

online stores

I can spend the day away just by looking through so many gorgeous online stores. It's no doubt obvious that I tend to LOVE handmade stores more than others just because I love to support people like me who are usually stay-at-home mums. Each designer has their own reason for making/selling their creations - for me it was a case of needing a creative outlet, as well as trying to earn a little extra money to put towards non-essentials (read here 'to support my cafe cravings'!).

My good friend Amy & I started a website in 2009 called Little Kiwis Nest which acts as a host for some very talented homebased/handmade designers. The majority of these sellers are Kiwis & are stay at home mums - & everyone of them makes incredible products for kids. Even though I have just moved back to Australia I've decided to reopen my little shop on Little Kiwis Nest so you can now get some of my goodies HERE.

I'm also trying to get my act together & open a store on Etsy which is an international website for handmade sellers. Wow, this site will have you hooked as well!  Bear with me while I find the time to fill my store there but here's the link for the future ... HERE.

There are loads of other great websites where you can source handmade goodies - eg http://www.madeit.com/, http://www.ozhandmade.com/  - so there really is no excuse not to find what you're looking for in one of these destinations!

rainy weather

am I odd to love the rainy weather?!?  It's seems as if it's a chance to slow down, snuggle up on the couch & stay in pj's all day - what can be bad about that?!?

Today is REALLY rainy.  I'm surprised our outdoor setting hasn't been washed off the balcony & that the leak in our roof hasn't quite filled up the bowl sitting on the bench. I kept my eldest out of school today due to illness, which really meant we could all lounge about & chill for the day - just lovely.

And of course, chilling means I get to browse around for special handmade creations to share with you.  I met a wonderful lady in the rainy city of Dunedin, NZ last year.  She is one truly talented artist & I LOVE her range of magnetic & restickable wall scapes.  My fridge has a little collection going on Tinch magnets & one day I hope to dedicate a whole wall to one of her larger creations!  Check out her cloudscape below.  love love love!

1. Up, Up and Away stickers by Tinch; 2.  Raindrops pocket mirror by Frangipani Palace3. Raindrops earrings by Each to Own
No Little Tee Tee creations in this blogpost because I don't have anything rain-inspired BUT your can have a little browse about my facebook (HERE) or my Little Kiwis Nest store (HERE) or Etsy store (here) if you wish to lounge about out of the rain for a while!