handbag dilemma!

it's time for a handbag update. What I considered to be pretty cool 12months ago is now drab & has taken a good beating from two little kids dragging down on its strap & stuffing it with countless treasures.  So it's off to the handmade community to choose my new spring bag.  Here's my shortlist ...

Problem is ... I can't choose!  Please help!!!  I'm getting the feeling my colour this season is greeny/yellow/neutrals.

Here's the role call of who made which bag, starting from the top left, going clockwise:
1. Yellow & jade tote by Monkey and Me; 2. Paisley bag by LMcreation 3. Green swirl bag by Nicole Lee Designs 4. Green/white canvas by The Dragonfly Path 5. Olives cream by Minani Emi  6. Honey linen by Maple Mist 7.  Grey bag by Mialie Designs   8. Grey screenprinted tote by HeyBoom  9. Linen shoulder bag by The Dragonfly Path 10. Black with white bow by ickady bag 

And along the way of my search I found some absolutely gorgeous dream bags.  Perhaps to go on my Xmas wish list?!?

1. Green flower print by Chloe and Viscount 2. Leather handbag by Eight Seasons 3. Beige Suede by Retro Blonde Designs 4. Denim tote by iheart charlie 5. Harlow shoulder bag by Ella & Lily 6. Olive knit by My Moms Knitting Shop 

New Little Tee Tee dress & favourite handmade finds

I have been remiss in blogging of late - sorry!  Life sometimes gulfs you up with little chance of finding time to do fun things like a blog.  So in the past month my hubby & I went for a child-free week in LA, I was a stallholder at a GREAT market (Erina Handmade Market), & I've been busy with some gorgeous custom orders.

My fabric shopping in the US uncovered some real gems to be made into sweet little dresses.  Here's one of them ...

Of course, I had to scour the handmade community for a collage of creations which I feel ties into my design.  A touch of yesteryear in shades of latte ...

1. Crochet Flower Necklace by Adoria Moon
Unfortunately my computer restarted itself before I could save all the designers names so I'm off now to track them down & will let you know asap. Feel free to post if you know who they are!

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

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!

vintage teacups

my husband's family are all collectors of gorgeous tea cups.  When I was introduced to this phenonemon 16yrs ago (man that makes me feel old) I didn't quite 'get it'.  It's taken this long to buy my first ever vintage cup & saucer - albeit a child-sized one!  I couldn't resist though - it is sooooo dainty & sweet.

When living in Auckland I met a lovely lady - Amanda - who runs the most amazing business called The Vintage Table.  Her job is to source the prettiest cups & saucers, china, crockery, vases etc etc for use in her hire company.  What a drag - scouring through quaint shops all day, looking at pretty things ;)  If you have a vintage/tea party style occasion coming up, be sure to visit The Vintage Table.

Here are some wonderfully cute tea cup-inspired creations for you to drool over ...

 1. Bird feeder by me2; 2. Array of The Vintage Table china for hire 3. Teacup transfer sheet by Mazix 4. Teacup necklace by TrinkArts 5. Teacup top & matching skirt by PattiKat Designs

You can visit the above products by clicking on their descriptions.  Don't forget to let them know who sent you!  And if you have any tea-cup inspired creations I'd love to see them!

christening gowns

Christenings / baby dedications (& the like) are such a momentous occasion & holds different significance for different families.   For us, the Dedication of our two girls was a way for us to thank God for our precious gifts & publicly let Him & our families know that we will do our best to bring them up in the Christian faith.

Anyway, this isn't meant to be about our personal beliefs but to share with you some gorgeous handmade Christening items & outfits I found on some of my favourite sites!  I've been wanting to sew a christening gown for some time & I finally got to cross it off my 'To Do' list (see main photo)!  Hopefully more to come in the not-too-distant future (after I manage a few other things off the old list!). Be sure to let me know if you'd like me to create something special for your little one!

To my fave finds now ...

Crochet flower headband by Li'l Things; Photo invitations by Tambo Creations; Caroline baby shoe by pink2blue; Bracelet by BrookieBell Designs;

If you do wish to know more about baby dedications please feel free to visit this link HERE.

sequins

bling bling & more bling!

Anyone who knows me knows I love sequins! Not that I flounce around in slinky sequined gowns, draped in rows of diamontes & topped with sparkly tiaras.  However ... I do love to sneak in my black sequined high-tops whenever I think I can get away with it! (Actually got stuck wearing them to a black-tie, corporate event by mistake last year when I packed two left boots & they were the only other packed shoes. It was fun looking at everyone's reactions!).

I digress ...

I'm in love/lust with these gorgeous handmade creations!  Now to find an excuse to walk around with a bling-bouquet!

Clockwise from top left: Sequined flower-girl dress by Little Tee Tee (me!); Wedding brooch bouquet by Lilybuds; Silver star baby shoes by miss poppitt. All handmade in Australia :)