lottielulu

summer holidays {and the boy turns seven}

2012-02-03T13:22:00.004+11:00

Holidays are over and school is back for the year. We have been home almost a week but I haven't had a spare minute to get back in here. I have lots to share but for the moment it will just be holidays snaps and the sweetest birthday boy ever.

I can hardly believe this kid is seven! He is a lego master, teller of fantastic imaginary tales, adventurer extrodinaire, wonderful at compromise and has patience by the bucket load. He is also the best snuggler in the house and the only one who still climbs in my bed regularly for a morning cuddle. I love you to the moon and back sweet William. Happy birthday!

last night.....

2012-01-19T08:42:00.006+11:00

....with this lady
beautiful music
birdcages in the sky
magic

babekins issue seven

2012-01-17T11:32:00.003+11:00

Do you need something lovely to look at or some fabulous kidspirational ideas - then check out the new babekins. It is always such a treat to spend a half hour or so indulging in their lovely eye candy.

I have had a few computer issues lately so haven't been able to reply or make comments as much as I would have liked. Big apologies - I am not ignoring anyone and hopefully things will be back to normal soon. The mister is working it on it. But I am off on summer holidays at the end of the week anyway so it will probably be a little while before I am really back into the swing of things.

lil' vintage story books - Hoppy, the curious kangaroo

2012-01-14T15:55:00.004+11:00

This week I am sharing another old favourite from my bookshelf. Little Hoppy the kangaroo wants to discover what a city is like so off he goes exploring. I love the images of the city with bustling traffic and fabulous buildings. Both the story and pictures are by Stan Fraydas. Hop over to Corey's for more lil' vintage story books.

kitty style {vintage sunsuit love} and a little bit of quilting too

2012-01-11T13:51:00.007+11:00

With summer well and truly here it is time to get out the sunsuits. The one I am making has been a bit of a disaster as the vintage fabric is very thin and a real pain to sew with so at the moment it is stuffed in my WIP box. Yes I am a lazy and non determined crafter, but with long hot lazy days I just can't be bothered dealing with anything fiddly. I have been busy quilting though and would love it if someone could recommend a good pen or pencil to mark lines with. The expensive pen I had dried out after one use and the pencils all seem to need a lot of heavy pressing back and forth in order to make a visible line. Anyhoo the quilting on this one is all done and now it is trimming and binding time.

For Kitty style this week I couldn't resist sharing this little vintage sunsuit. Kitty was quite fascinated by it and was sure we were about to go swimming. She spent a long time checking out all the details before she settled down to play. It is one of three that I bought from mislaidtreasures. They are all the same just in different colour ways. This aqua blue one is my favourite. It is covered in the sweetest little deer and bunnies all frolicking happily about. I am sure that nothing in the whole world could be sweeter.

kitty wears

vintage sunsuit - mislaidtreasures

We are linking up with small style over at mama loves papa and trendy tots as well. Did I ever say how much I love the name of Morgan's blog? I am sure I have, but I will say it again - I just love the name mama loves papa, it makes me smile every single time.

lil' vintage story books - my kitten

2012-01-07T13:18:00.003+11:00

I was commenting on another blog this week about how I used to play baby dolls with my cats when I was a child. I would dress them up and push them around in my dolly pram. It reminded me of this book, one of my all time favourites illustrated by Eloise Wilkin, so I thought it would be perfect to share on lil' vintage story books this week.

This book is such a favourite that I even chose some of the images and framed them for Kitty's bedroom so I get to see them every single day.

kitty style {summer days are here at last}

2012-01-05T20:49:00.007+11:00

The heat of summer has finally arrived. This sweet little vintage dress is just perfect for a hot humid Sydney day. It is soft light and dreamy, with gorgeous details. I think it is originally 1940's and even though it has a few tiny pin prick holes here and there it is generally in beautiful condition. And check out my little ponytail girl! It was only a few short months ago that I was scraping together enough hair for wee little pigtails and now she can sport a ponytail! Goodness me, she is just growing up way too fast.

kitty wears

vintage dress - REiNViNTAGEkids on etsy

hairclip - gymboree hand-me-down from her big sister

We are joining in small style. Go and see more gorgeous kiddos strutting their stuff over at mama loves papa. There is also a new linky on the block. Pop over to A real-life housewife for some trendy tots fun.

meet minnou

2012-01-04T13:14:00.004+11:00

She didn't even last a day in the box - she wanted to come out and frolic with the deer.

dolly mail

2012-01-03T09:06:00.003+11:00

What a wonderful start to the New Year. My Meowsy Wowsy Blythe Minnou is finally here! She is still in her box. Maybe tomorrow I will get her out. For now she looks so sweet and snug in there so I am enjoying her all boxed up and looking pretty up on my shelf.

Oh how I love dolly mail!

kitty style { a little vintage Christmas}

2011-12-29T13:44:00.004+11:00

I was going to cheat and dress Kitty in her Christmas day outfit again this morning to take new pictures. The whole of Christmas day I had my camera on the wrong setting (which basically means not on auto) so every single picture is out of focus and just blah. Anyhoo this morning we ended up going scooter riding and doing a long overdue grocery shop so there was no time left for a photo shoot. Instead I tried to fix them as as best as I could in picnik - oh how I *love* picnik!

I may still do more photos one day as this dress is postively dreamy. I bought it from Stacey knowing it had a few issues and thinking it would be just a play dress but when it arrived I was smitten. I gave it a good soak and a dose of bright Aussie sunshine and while the stains didn't go away they did fade. Then I mended lots of teeny holes in the lace inserts and a few tiny little tears in the cotton. It was worth the little extra effort as it was perfect for Christmas day and it is now a treasured part of Kitty's wardrobe.

kitty wears

vintage dress - hart & sew

hair bow - hand-me-down from her big sister

shoes - saltwater sweethearts

Sadly this is the last week of little vintage style so of course we will be joining in for the last hurrah. Thank you so much Stacey for hosting such a fun link up. I have met lots of lovely vintage loving girls and their cute kiddos via little vintage style and I will miss joining in each week. Kitty style will keep going and I would love it if people left links to their own kiddos sporting vintage goodness. And don't forget small style over at mama loves papa. Why not take pics of your kids and join in the fun!

waiting

2011-12-27T14:28:00.004+11:00

Did you have a lovely Christmas? I hope so.

Mine was fabulous apart from the fact that my new blythe doll didn't arrive in time, I had my camera on the wrong setting for the entire day and I had a little car accident in the afternoon. But you know what - no one was hurt in the bingle, we spent a long sunny afternoon surrounded by family and now I have a package to look forward to when every else has already opened their presents. So all up it was still a wonderful Christmas. And even though Minnou isn't here yet, Santa delivered a new girl for Lottie so we still had a very merry blythe-y Christmas.

Betsy is getting a bit impatient waiting for her new sister to arrive. Here she is at the window looking out for the postman. Hurry up Minnou. We want to play!

Merry Christmas {lil' vintage story books - Santa's Surprise Book}

2011-12-24T17:58:00.006+11:00

I know Corey is taking a break this week from lil' vintage story books, but I have one more vintage Christmas book to share so I am playing on my own. And what better way to wish all my lovely visitors a Merry Christmas than by sharing some delightful vintage illustrations.

I wish you all a happy Christmas filled with love, laughter, good things to eat and something special under the tree.

Ingrid

xoxo

Christmas in the city

2011-12-23T13:46:00.005+11:00

I remember going into the city each year as a child to visit santa, see the magical window displays and the huge tree in Martin Place. I loved it each and every time. Now I take my children and hopefully it will make magical memories for them.

It was very hard to get good photos of anything with bustling shopping crowds and many of the displays behind windows, but we did get a santa photo at the Queen Victoria Building after a three hour wait. Santa was so busy that you needed to leave your mobile number and the Christmas fairy sent us a text when it was our turn. We spent the three hours wandering up to David Jones Elizabeth Street to see the beautiful Christmas windows and we did lots of people watching and visited a few of the special shops in the QVB.

I was so proud of the children. They were all so well behaved and we had a wonderful time.

No Kitty style this week, things are just too busy. I will definitely take a photo of her on Christmas day to feature next week. She will be wearing a beautiful vintage dress from one of my favourite places.

lil' vintage story books - jingle bells

2011-12-17T14:06:00.002+11:00

Yet another Christmas golden book from the shelf. This one has such a fun story based around 'jingle bells'. My favourite image is of the six sick little reindeer all tucked up in bed.

More sweet vintage Christmas books are over at Corey's.

kitty style

2011-12-15T16:23:00.003+11:00

Busy busy busy. So just photos today and not much else.

kitty wears

vintage dress - hart & sew

shoes - saltwater sandals

crazy grimacing smile - all her own

More kiddy fashion over at hart & sew and mama love papa.

lil' vintage books - the Christmas ABC

2011-12-10T22:31:00.004+11:00

Another little golden book Christmas treasure this week. This one is illustrated by Eloise Wilkin and written by Florence Johnson so of course it is sure to be delightful.

More lil' vintage story books over at Corey's, just click the pretty button below.

kitty style {a little green elf}

2011-12-08T15:10:00.004+11:00

A few weeks back I wished for cooler weather and it seems my wish came true. We have had lots of grey skies and rain and even had to pull out the winter pyjamas and pile the doonas back on the beds. It hardly seems like summer at all. So now I am wishing for some sweet sunshine. Kitty has a wardrobe full of summer outfits to get through for little vintage style and at the moment it seems they are destined to be hidden under cardigans and tights.

I posted about this little dress weeks ago and it arrived and it just as sweet as I hoped. It is super short though, and even though I like short, I think this one borders on ridiculously short. Thanks to the cold day she ended up popping on a pair of jeans underneath anyway. I love the sweet dot on this dress and the teeny ric rac. I think it is rather Christmassy - she looks like a baby elf! She was restless this morning at photo time so it was hard to get any decent shots. She finally sat down when I asked her to sing me a song but that resulted in lots of pics of a very wide mouth and an ear splitting rendition of twinkle twinkle.

kitty wears

vintage dress - good kisser on etsy

Of course we are joining in little vintage style and small style again this week. Go and check them out.

some quilting

2011-12-08T14:31:00.004+11:00

I put together this quilt top yesterday. Here are the blocks all laid out and ready to sew. It looks even nicer now it is in one piece. Tonight I will sandwich it and start to quilt. If you like all fancy teensy tiny triangle type quilting you are at the wrong blog. I only do quilting for dummies - pre cut charm packs in pretty prints.

check out more creative spaces over here.

lil' vintage story books - the night before christmas

2011-12-03T10:58:00.007+11:00

I thought in the lead up to Christmas I would share some of my favourite vintage Christmas books. It seems everyone over at lil' vintage story books had the same idea so why not hop over and see all the lovely merry illustrations. Today I am sharing a little golden book version of 'The night before Christmas'. I used a few of these images on my Christmas cards a few years ago. This santa really is the jolliest around.

kitty style

2011-12-01T08:45:00.005+11:00

I have had this little set tucked away in the cupboard for ages. I am always on the look out for cute vintage nautical sets but I haven't had much luck finding any for Kitty for for this summer. This was the closest I could get. It is quite old, I would say 1940's but beautifully made and in great condition. The shorts are just the sweetest ever with a high waist and button detail and the shirt has a darling little fishy pocket. Best of all it works perfectly with Kitty's favourite red bow and red sandals.

kitty wears

vintage shirt and shorts - nana's attic

shoes - saltwater sandals

As usual there is whole lot more vintage goodness over at little vintage style and a whole pile of cute kiddos over at small style. Go and check them out.

my ultimate christmas wish list

2011-11-30T16:19:00.007+11:00

Lovely Miss posie from posie patchwork posted her ultimate christmas wishlist and asked me for mine. So here it is. I have a December birthday so maybe, just maybe, I will get some of these goodies in the next few weeks.

My ultimate wish list would include a giant vat of this magical concoction but I guess I will have to make do with the standard size. I love my Clarins beauty flash balm.

Believe it or not this couch potato is getting fit! I have just lost 20 kilos and my new years resolution is to start running. Of course I will need some new shoes that not only feel great but look pretty too. I think these will do the trick.

Ahhhh jo Malone, you make the sweet scents of heaven. My dearest girlfriend was wearing this wild bluebell cologne the other day and she said it reminded her of me. Now I want my own bottle - it is simply delicious.

I adore this bag. Perfect size, perfect colour. I *need* it.

It's a Louenhide switch in yellow. It comes in lots of pretty colours including a fabulous orange.

Who wouldn't want a Tiffany sparkler! This citrine one is calling my name. Now if only it calls loud enough for santa to hear - then I will be a happy girl.

And of course every girl needs a new dress for Christmas.

This one from j crew is just my colour and I adore those sleeves.

What's on your list? Please share and send me a link. I love seeing what goodies everyone wants for Christmas.

lil' vintage story books - counting board book

2011-11-26T09:27:00.007+11:00

This isn't a story book, just a lovely counting board book. No title or details at all, just lovely thick board pages full of beautiful illustrations. I picked up a pile of these board books at a second hand book sale a few years ago and they are now Kitty's favourites. You can see the full images over on my flickr. I thought they might be lovely to print up for a nursery wall.

There are more wonderful lil' vintage story books over at Corey's blog. Why not pop over and say hello.

kitty style - my little comedienne

2011-11-24T08:05:00.006+11:00

Kitty has just discovered knock knock jokes. In a typical day I will have to answer these knock knock jokes about two thousand three hundred and seventy two times. This wouldn't be so bad if they weren't all versions of the same joke. Here is an example for you

knock knock

who's there?

pizza

pizza who?

I love pizza! (with hysterical giggling)

The word pizza can be substituted for honey and occasionally the punch line becomes "pizza is yummy!"

The thing is that the first few times she did knock knock we all thought it was adorable and laughed like crazy and now she expects this response every time. So after the punchline she screams "laugh mumma, laugh" when really I just feel like banging my head against a brick wall.

kitty wears

vintage dress - potato cake vintage

vintage cardigan - mislaidtreasures

sandals - saltwater

Sorry for the blurry pics this week. I always take my kitty style photos in the same place as the light is normally great but these were taken late afternoon and it was drizzly and grey. She is also looking a bit bedraggled as dirty as we just got home from playgroup and we got a little wet coming into the house.

More cool kids can be found over at little vintage style and small style. Go and check them out.

meowsy wowsy

2011-11-23T12:49:00.004+11:00

This little lady is coming to live at my house. Isn't she the sweetest dolly ever! I am naming her Minnou. I can't wait until she arrives.

billycart time!

2011-11-22T13:26:00.005+11:00

It was hot and humid but nothing could stop the billycart fun. Kitty went the fastest and mr big got lots of exercise chasing her down the hill and stopping her from crashing. Even I had a turn - I never had a billycart as a kid so I was making up for lost time.

lil' vintage story books - Lenny the lion's party

2011-11-19T20:39:00.006+11:00

Parties are crazy over at Lenny's place. I wish I was invited to one.

There are very scant details on this book. No author or illustrator, just Birn Brothers London ltd., 1960. Pop over to Corey's for more lovely lil' vintage story books.

kitty style {in denial about summer}

2011-11-17T12:29:00.006+11:00

Yes, it is almost summer. The weather is getting hotter and the last thing I should be buying is sweet little outfits made of tweed with matching overcoats. But seriously, could you say no to this little number? I certainly couldn't. Luckily the weather fairies granted my wish and the day after it arrived the temperature dropped and the sky filled with glorious fat grey rain clouds. See, I wasn't crazy after all! This probably has no chance of fitting next winter but the fabric is actually quite lightweight so Kitty will be wearing it every chance we can get before the summer heats sets in. If I am really lucky she might just squeeze it in for a wear or two next autumn as well.

kitty wears

vintage dress, hat and jacket - hart and sew

I love the details on this set so much. the little buttons, the apple belt buckle, the white trim, the sweet little hat - it is perfect in every way. Go and see more sweet stuff over at little vintage style and small style. The cute just never ends.

i got tickets!

2011-11-14T14:32:00.003+11:00

Are you going to the Sydney festival? I missed out on tickets to pj harvey but I snapped up a few for beth orton. I will be taking one my best girlfriends to celebrate her 40th birthday. I may take the kids to see holly throsby as well. Her kids album 'see' is magical and on high rotation in the car at the moment. This tune is a favourite.

What is everyone listening to in your house?

lil' vintage story books - in the forest - marcel marlier

2011-11-11T21:56:00.005+11:00

One of my absolute favourite illustrators is Marcel Marlier. Just look at these images and you will see why. I have two different variations of this book. The first is 'Johnny and Sophie in the forest' which was written and illustrated by Marlier. Then I have 'Mark and Michelle in the Forest' with almost exactly the same pictures but different text, this time written by Gilbert Delahaye who worked with marlier on many books, most memorably the 'Martine' series.

I had many of Marlier's books as a child and I remember being completely enthralled by them. I wish I had kept some of those well loved copies but my mother was never a 'keeper'. Both of these were picked up at op-shops to add to my Marlier collection. One day maybe I will have all the ones I remember from my childhood.

kitty style {making vintage work}

2011-11-09T10:54:00.009+11:00

One of the tricks with putting together a vintage wardrobe that works (and by that I mean one that actually gets worn and not just collected) is to find pieces that suit your lifestyle and also to be able to see the potential in pieces that may need some extra love or a a bit of work. When it comes to Kitty's clothes I am always drawn to frilly party dresses in soft sheer fabrics, but I know realistically she is only going to need 2 or 3 of these per season, so I restrain myself. Simple dresses in easy care fabrics, frills or no frills, basic pinis, and things that can mix and match are much cleverer choices. I know she will get more wear out of them, plus they are often easier to look after and also to mend or alter.

Sometimes I find the perfect item but by the time the season is right the fit isn't so great. I don't like altering hems on vintage dresses unless there is no way around it. I love those big wide hems and for me they hold part of the magic, so often I will pass that item on rather than ruining it's vintage charm. Other times I make do with short dresses - short with the right nappy cover or pants is cuter than long anyway. The other option is to use the dress as a top. I often buy dresses which I know are way too small, but as long as the arm hole is deep enough and the chest measurement fits I know it will get worn. Pants and overalls are another story. I actually very rarely buy long vintage pants for Kitty. She is very tall - all leg - and has a teeny waist with no bottom, so they never seem to fit. But when I saw these overalls on etsy I thought it was worth taking a risk.

I knew that even if the bottom half was no good I could cut the pants off completely and turn them into a skirt, as long as I could save the top half it would be worth it. When I tried them on Kitty the body was a great fit but the legs were about 2 inches too short, so cutting off another fewinches was a perfect and easy solution. I also stitched up they inner leg as I hate snap closures on toddlers. I then used the scraps to whip up a quick headband. I did hesitate a little before cutting these up, they really were lovely just as they were, but sadly not right for Kitty. I hate spoiling vintage with too many alterations, but I think these ended up just as cute and still retain their vintage sweetness.

Kitty wears

vintage overalls - La Di Dottie

(turned into shortalls by me)

headband - made by mumma

shoes - salt water sweethearts

We are joining in little vintage style and small style again this week. I think these linkys are the things that keep my blog going these days.

lil' vintage story books - naughty mr fox

2011-11-07T10:32:00.003+11:00

I'm late with my lil' vintage story book again this week. oh well, better late than never.

I picked up this little vintage book at the op-shop years ago when Lottie was a baby and it has been a favourite of mine ever since. The pictures are beautiful and it has animals in clothes which I love. The funny thing is that in this book some of the animals are dressed and live in little houses, like Mr Hedgehog, but others like the deer and rabbits seem to be naked and living wild - but they can all talk of course, and are always referred to as Miss Deer, Mr Fox, Miss squirrel and so on.

The book has very scant information - no author, no illustrator, no publication date, just the name and place of publication, Keesmaat Bros., Holland.

Why not go and visit Corey and see more lovely story books and all the other vintage goodness over on her blog.

kitty style

2011-11-03T10:42:00.005+11:00

After seeing Stacy's lovely Halloween costumes in this weeks little vintage style I am kicking myself for not taking any pictures of Kitty's costume. It was a very last minute effort as I was planning on leaving her at home with mr big but we ended up all going. I am so glad we did as it was wonderful fun. There is an American couple in our suburb who go all out and not only decorate their house but open up scary rooms to all the trick or treaters. The whole block gets involved and so there were lots of houses to visit. There were even police directing the traffic! Halloween has never really been the done thing here in suburban Sydney but I have noticed it growing over the last few years and after the fun we had this year I am already planning more exciting costumes for next year.

Anyhoo kitty wore this outfit paired with a set of minnie mouse ears that a friend brought back last month from Disneyland. She looked adorable and was accompanied by William the skeleton and Lottie the wicked witch.

For Kitty style this week you get to see another one of our sweet vintage woollies. This dress is still a little big and I am sure she will get lots of wear out of it next winter but even now it is cuddly and sweet - just perfect for today's cool rainy weather.

kitty wears

vintage dress - thrifted from the op-shop

Visit little vintage style and small style for more cute kids and their clothes.

dear and deer friends

2011-11-01T13:05:00.003+11:00

One of my dearest friends is having a special birthday. I popped into one of my favourite local antique shops and picked up this treasure for her. I gave it to her this morning and she loves it. I think it is as beautiful as she is.

While I was there I found this little deer and he had to come home with me too. Those lashes and spots just won my heart - there was no way I could leave him behind. I was planning on putting him somewhere in Kitty's room to go with her bambi poster, but I like to look at him too much so he is staying close to me instead.

Here is the poster in the corner of Kitty's room, over our favourite snuggling chair with the quilt made by another lovely friend. This is my favourite spot in Kitty's room. I can't even count the hours I have spent sitting here feeding, rocking and snuggling my smallest girl.

lil' vintage story books - play street

2011-10-29T09:50:00.016+11:00

I couldn't resist joining in the vintage story book fun over on Corey's blog. It was hard to know just which book to start with as my shelves are overflowing with vintage children's books, especially little golden books which I have been collecting for years. I decided to reach in and pull a book out randomly and out came this little treasure.

Play Street is written by Esther Wilkin (the sister of Eloise Wilkin) and illustrated by their friend Joan Esley. These ladies created so many wonderful books, it was Eloise Wilkins work in particular that first sparked my interest in collecting little golden books. They capture a magical charm and a sweetness of childhood will always hold a special appeal for me.

Do have a favourite vintage story book to share? Then head over to lil' vintage story books and play along.

kitty style

2011-10-28T09:40:00.011+11:00

Lots of pouting this week. We even had to get teddy in on the act but then he stole the chair and Kitty decided to spend the whole time licking him. Perhaps he was covered in jam from breakfast or maybe she just likes licking fur - I have no idea.

Kitty wears

vintage balloon romper - thrifted

pink tee - hand-me-down bonds

sandals - salt water sweethearts

more cute kids over at little vintage style and small style.

it's raining so i'm making a sunsuit

2011-10-25T14:42:00.005+11:00

I wanted to start it yesterday but it was too hot. It was our first really hot day (34 degrees or just over 93 for the fahrenheit gals and it is still only spring), so I decided that a swim in the pool and sucking on iceblocks was more fun than sewing.

Today is cool and rainy and perfect for sewing. Not that I sewed today I just deciphered the gibberish that accompanies vintage patterns and tested my brain with the puzzle that is the fine paper pattern pieces with holes and notches rather than written markings. I had forgotten how tiresome and fiddly that part is. Oh well, it is all cut out now and I am sure it will be worth it in the end. I can't wait to see Kitty all dolled up in ruffles and a bonnet.

canberra markets

2011-10-24T13:54:00.004+11:00

We spent the weekend in Canberra to meet a new baby cousin. Yesterday morning we popped into the old bus depot markets. I was actually a bit disappointed and only came home with a box of cherries. Oh well, I guess I saved some pennies.

I did see a lovely rack of vintage dresses and lots of delicious sweet treats. But sadly none of the dresses were right for me and I said no to the sweets because otherwise I will never have a hope of being able to find any vintage dresses that fit. *sigh*

kitty style

2011-10-19T13:59:00.009+11:00

kitty wears

vintage dress - 3ringcircus

shoes - salt water sandals

This is one of the little vintage dresses that has been making me ache for warm weather. It has been hanging up in Kitty's room patiently waiting for just the right sunny day. Isn't it wonderful! I love all the sweet details - the red piping, the little bunny applique, the puffy sleeves, the sash!

Be still my heart.

Come and check out the linky love over at little vintage style and small style.

family

2011-10-18T14:24:00.005+11:00

I have had the busiest week catching up with family, especially my sister from Perth and her three kids. We have been out beach hopping, visiting the zoo, the park, barbequeing, catching up and just letting the kids have a wonderful time enjoying the friendship of their cousins.

My gorgeous niece Jessica had a birthday while they were staying with us and it was so lovely to be able to celebrate with her. Here are all fifteen of the grandkids and my dear sweet dad at his birthday party.

Back to regular stuff soon I promise.

happy birthday dad

2011-10-14T11:17:00.003+11:00

My dad turns 80 today. Happy birthday dad! This is the first time in years the whole family will be here to celebrate. One sister moved home from the US last year and another flew in from Perth yesterday so it will be all five children and fifteen grandchildren tomorrow. I will have to make sure to get a photo of that. We have been so busy catching up and getting ready for the party that I had to skip Kitty style this week.

Anyhoo that is me and my older sister pictured with my dear sweet dad. I am the dark haired one, I think I would have been about 16 or so in this picture. My hair was actually really long back then but it was tied back in this picture. I must have been at the beach all day - I look quite sunburnt (and wasting entire days at the beach is generally what I did back then). My sister is a hairdresser - can you tell?

i love green

2011-10-12T13:40:00.003+11:00

It must be the spring weather I think - I just can't stop wanting more fresh green loveliness in my life.

teacup - pink dahlia studio

shoes - orbiting debris

dress - goodkisser (on it's way to my house)

kitty style {school holiday special}

2011-10-06T14:15:00.009+11:00

kitty wears

vintage dress - mislaidtreasures

jeans - gap

Lottie wears

vintage band tee - mine mine mine!

vintage levis

Will wears

robot tee - Stella McCartney for Gap

shorts - fred bare

With school holidays still going you get the whole bunch of smalls this week in Kitty style. This spring weather is still doing its crazy stuff. I had planned on Kitty just wearing this vintage dress on its own with sandals but the clouds rolled in and the wind picked up so once again we added jeans to the mix. We were off to our local nursery this morning for a school holiday planting session so the bright flowers were perfect even if the weather didn't co-operate. And look at those sleeves - they make my heart go all aflutter!

Lottie is wearing a vintage Nick Cave band tour shirt that was mine! Yes, it's sad to say I was once (way way back in my early 20's) able to fit into a shirt that my 8 year old daughter now wears. That was about 15 years ago, so I am calling this vintage or retro or at least old and hip. The jeans are ones I picked up thrifting years before I even had a daughter. They were so cool I couldn't leave them behind. I gave them to my niece and now they have come back to us. Lottie is not big on wearing jeans but I love these on her.

Will is wearing a favourite tee and old pair of shorts. The tee was part of the line Stella McCartney did for gap. Oh how I loved those lines! It was back before Stella released her own kids lines and priced me out of ever buying any more of her stuff for my kids.

See more cool kids style over at hart+sew and mama loves papa.

wordless wednesday

2011-10-05T08:33:00.006+11:00

{more wordless wednesday over here}

school holiday art

2011-09-29T14:51:00.005+10:00

It is raining again. It seems to always rain a lot in the September school holidays. To make another day inside more bearable we went out this morning and bought some new art paper and brushes. The kids spent the morning sketching out their ideas and then when Kitty went down for a nap they painted them with water colours. Once they were dry we went over the top with a black marker pen. Tomorrow we will crack open the new acrylic paints unless the sun decides to come out. By the end of the holidays I should have enough artwork to create a gallery wall in the house somewhere. Maybe something like this.

No Kitty style this week. Maybe next week I will do a school holiday version with all three kids.

spring

2011-09-27T14:49:00.003+10:00

Betsy is definitely not an outdoor girl but even she couldn't resist venturing outside to enjoy the beautiful spring weather. Hopefully that glorious sunshine will work some magic on my patchy back yard grass.

i love yarn craft

2011-09-25T16:33:00.007+10:00

I can't knit and I can't crochet but I can mindlessly twirl yarn around pipe cleaners. This started out as a rainy day activity for the kids that I saw over here at bloesem kids but it proved too tedious for my older ones and too fiddly for the smallest. I took over and rather enjoyed myself. Who needs to learn to crochet when you can twirl instead!

kitty style {smiling practice}

2011-09-22T15:36:00.007+10:00

Kitty wears

dress - vintage hand-me-down

As you can see we got there in the end. This age is so funny. The strange faces she pulls for the camera make me laugh every time. I can't even remember where I got this sweet little vintage dress. Charlotte wore it for Christmas Day once when she was small and it is lovely see Kitty fit into it now.

Check out little vintage style and small style for more mini fashionistas. Gabrielle is doing a guest post this week for little vintage style and she always has fabulous finds, especially for her vintage loving little boys.

naughty little birds - twitter disaster

2011-09-20T14:47:00.004+10:00

Sorry to all my twitter followers who got spammed yesterday. It appears my account was hacked and weird messages sent. I haven't even tweeted in over two years! Goodness me - what a disaster. Anyhoo, I think it is all fixed and hopefully won't happen again. I apologise. And sorry I didn't respond to individual messages, I was bombarded.

school art show

2011-09-15T14:03:00.004+10:00

Last night was opening night of our school art show. It was fantastic. All the children have been working with the art teacher to produce an amazing array of pieces for display. I went back again this morning after school reading to take some photos. The kids will be bringing home their pieces eventually but I wanted to capture them while they were up on display in the 'gallery'.

kitty style

2011-09-14T12:32:00.005+10:00

I skipped kitty style last week. I had a dreadful headache and then a busy weekend. And we are deep in tantrums at the moment and I just didn't feel like trying to take a picture when it would probably cause a moment I would rather forget than remember.

But yesterday a package arrived from REiNViNTAGEkids - two little dresses just bursting with summer goodness, so there was no way I wanted to miss sharing the vintage love. This one is smaller than I had hoped but it still fits as a sweet top and paired with jeans it is perfect for this lovely Spring weather.

I also pulled out the pattern box this week and have been planning some summer sewing for the girls. I discovered a few fabulous vintage size 2 patterns which I never got to make for Charlotte as she was already too big and I am so excited about making them for Kitty. You might be able to spy them here in the first picture. Look for little bonnets and you are on the right track.

kitty wears

vintage lemon dress as a top - REiNViNTAGEkids on etsy

hand-me-down jeans - pumpkin patch

hairbow - ella and kate

I will be linking up with little vintage style and small style as soon as they are up.

covet garden

2011-09-08T08:08:00.006+10:00

Need something to read with your morning coffee? Try this.

The featured home in this issue is amazing. I want more white in my life and I think I need a vintage dolly shelf too. So much loveliness.

a new hat for betsy

2011-09-06T10:19:00.004+10:00

It is springtime and the weather is warm and sunshiny, but I couldn't resist this delightful hat from maidensuit. I have wanted one all winter long. At least betsy never complains of the heat. And even if it is getting warmer outside I am sure she will be fine wearing it for a few more days sitting in her favourite cool spot with bunny in my wardrobe. Then I will pack it away until next winter. Maybe next time we are at the snow she won't mind so much if she has such a lovely hat to wear.

kitty style

2011-09-01T14:50:00.004+10:00

No vintage this week. Just a favourite hand-me-down cowgirl print dress from Lottie and another pair of jeans. No face pictures either. She wasn't interested in the camera at all today. Her little hair bow was much more fascinating.

Kitty wears

spencer as a tee - marquise

dress - hand-me-down - Fred Bare

jeans - gap

See more cute small style kids over at mama loves papa.

for father's day

2011-08-31T13:00:00.005+10:00

After taking about 263 pictures (of which about 240 weren't even in focus) there were 11 that had the kids looking at the camera at the same time and only 2 of those 11 in which no one was pulling a face, but even in those 2 they weren't all smiling - ARGHHHHH! So none of these shots ended up being the final choice that I framed. I used a terribly fuzzy and out of focus one that I took inside but at least they were all looking at me and smiling. I think I would have had more success if I took individual pictures of the kids holding the letters and then just put them in a 3 across frame. But only smart people would think of that before torturing themselves with the ridiculous notion that the kids would all co-operate and sit there looking at the camera and smiling sweetly.

eight

2011-08-29T08:46:00.005+10:00

you are so clever and are constantly showing me new ways to look at the world

your mind spinning and whirring through big ideas and even bigger dreams

remembering things with your snapshot mind

striving constantly to be the best but learning day by day that being the best just means being the best you

climbing and exploring outside no matter what the weather, just aching to stretch your body as far as you can

and at the end of the day in dreamy sleep, blankets always kicked aside and limbs flung out, curls tousled around your face

and I love you more and more each day with a fiery fierce love that sometimes makes me catch my breath

I want to wrap you in my arms and keep you there small and quiet but you would push me aside with a kiss and leap away to explore the world, turning back to wave with your sunshine smile

happy birthday my beautiful adventurer
love mumma
xoxo

in the post

2011-08-26T08:36:00.003+10:00

This little bundle is finally on it's way. Better late than never is my motto.

Kitty style {first pigtails}

2011-08-25T12:40:00.006+10:00

Kitty has become so funny since I have made kitty style a regular feature on the blog. I always take the photos at our front door before we go out for the day usually on a Wednesday or Thursday so it has become part of our routine. On Tuesday Kitty wore a tutu that she loves and she pulled her little stool to the front door demanding pictures. Yesterday she had on another one of her favourite dresses and again she wanted pictures. Both times we were in a hurry and I explained no pictures today.

Then this morning rolled round and I put her in this sweet little vintage vest that I picked up a few months back at the op-shop. To say she wasn't impressed is an understatement. Obviously she didn't think it picture worthy at all. All I got was 'yuck' and 'off please mummy'.

kitty wears

vest - thrifted vintage

spencer as a tee - marquise

jeans - gap

gingham top - thrifted hand-me-down

She won in the end and I swapped the vest for another old thrifted favourite that is a hand-me-down from her big sister. Can you tell she is happy? Believe it or not that is a smile in the last picture. I think we need to work on that. And how cute are those pigtails! It was her first time ever in piggies and it definitely makes her seem like a toddler rather than a baby. As you can see I had to scrape together every wispy scrap of hair on her head and they are still teeny tiny.

Go and see the linky love over at hart + sew and mama loves papa.

little vintage dresses {waiting for summer}

2011-08-22T11:42:00.005+10:00

- vintage yellow fruit set and vintage white and blue smocked dress both

from hart and sew
- vintage pale blue swiss dot from nana's attic

- pale green tutu behind from gymboree a few seasons ago

- doll house book shelf from the op-shop and painted by me

- littlest pet shop animals stolen from her big sister's bedroom

easy prawn laksa

2011-08-20T19:38:00.003+10:00

This was Saturday night dinner for me and Mr Big. We fed the kids sausages and put them to bed early because we don't like to share. We are mean like that.

I have adapted this recipe from instructions on various laksa paste jars and others I have seen around the place. You can mix up the ingredients to suit your taste. Mr Big prefers noodles with his, but I make him have the bean shoots because I am trying to be healthy and I don't want to be jealous watching him eat yummy noodles. But really the bean shoots add a nice crunch and it is so creamy and decadent anyway, you really don't need the noodles.

easy prawn laksa

serves two

- laksa paste - how much you use will depend on the jar. I find the supermarket ones I need about 1/2 to 2/3 of a jar but the hotter ones you can get at the asian supermarket I only use 1/2 a jar max

- dozen large green prawns, peeled and de-gunked

- bunch of broccolini, cut in half

- bunch of coriander, ripped into pieces and rinsed well

- bag of bean sprouts

- 500ml of chicken stock

- 375ml tin of Carnation light and creamy coconut evaporated milk

- fried onions from the asian supermarket for garnish if you like them

- lime wedge

Get two very large bowls and divide the sprouts between them, top with the coriander but leave a little aside for garnish.

Add your laksa paste to a medium saucepan and heat through until fragrant. Pour in stock and milk and bring to a simmer. Add broccolini and prawns and cook until prawns are pink. This only takes about 1 minute. Divide the laksa between the bowls. Top with the rest of the coriander, fried onions and lime wedge. Squeeze over lime and eat. Delicious!

Be warned, you really do need large bowls. The bowl pictured is a big deep laksa bowl. As you can see my serve doesn't quite fill it but Mr Big's was over flowing.

kitty style

2011-08-17T20:05:00.006+10:00

The weather is warming up already so this might be one of our last cardigan posts. Although I am sure this sweet little number will get lots of use in springtime as it is so light and soft. And as you can see it is already 3/4 sleeve, so perfect for warmer weather. Even though I am a winter girl through and through, I can't wait to break out the summer dresses!

I picked up this sweet soft yellow cardi at the op shop a few months ago and Kitty has worn it quite a few times already. The little ribbon is long lost at a park somewhere, but it is still cute without it. The big dilemma this morning was what hair ribbon to wear. Kitty is in the 'big is better' camp when it comes to ribbons. I distracted her with a book so I could get my own way.

I will be linking up again with little vintage style and small style this week. So much sweet kiddie fun, go and check them out.

I'm getting more stylish

2011-08-16T10:40:00.006+10:00

I am turning 40 this year. And I hate to say that the thought was beginning to fill me with dread. After many years working in the fashion industry and having more than a little bit of a fashion obsession, I have to admit that the last 5 years or so I have gone into a slump. I have put on a enormous amount of weight which sadly leads to wearing what fits rather than what I love. I still like to think I know how to put in some effort and I rarely leave the house without eyeliner and the right shoes, but generally I have to admit that I have plummeted to the bottom in the fashion stakes.

Then the other week I came across an amazing blog called advanced style. And I have decided that instead of getting older I am just going to get more stylish. These fabulous ladies are truly inspiring. Look out 40 here I come!

Beatrix Ost image source

Maryann image source

kitty style

2011-08-12T13:46:00.004+10:00

I love love love Kitty's outfit this week. The skirt is a gymboree one that I actually bought the whole ensemble for last year. Sadly last year the cardigan fit but the skirt was too big. This year the skirt fits but the cardigan is now 3/4 sleeve. Check out my little lady all dolled up in the full set last winter.

And here she is now. I think I like it even more teamed with the plain white tee and chucks. It seems to fit her toddler rocking the park style a bit better.

kitty wears

spencer as a tee - marquise

skirt - gymboree

tights - hand-me-down from her big sister

shoes - converse

As usual we are linking up with morgan's small style over at mama loves papa. Why not go and check out all the other cute kids.

kids craft - jellyfish

2011-08-10T14:04:00.004+10:00

It was my turn to organise our playgroup craft this week. I am usually a bit lazy and just get out the paints, but today I thought we should do something a bit more involved, so we made jellyfish. These are so easy and suited to both toddlers and preschoolers. The older kids could even help cut up their own paper strips if they want to help with the preparation.

You will need
- glue
- scissors
- plastic or paper bowls (you could even use a take-away food container or a paper cup to make a smaller one)
- crepe paper in long strips for the tentacles
- cellophane and tissue paper scraps cut into small pieces to decorate the body
- string to thread through the top

All you do is glue around the inside edge of the bowl and attach the long crepe paper strips. Then turn the bowl over cover with glue and decorate with the cellophane and tissue paper. Leave to dry, then punch a hole in the base of the bowl and attach a string. Hang up and watch your jellyfish sparkle in the sunshine and flutter in the breeze.

wordless weekend {last game of the season}

2011-08-07T13:46:00.004+10:00

kitty style

2011-08-03T21:12:00.008+10:00

After four children I thought I had almost reached my quota of toddler tantrums and high pitched squealing but Kitty seems to think she is the first kid to come up with these lovely spectacles and must therefore perform them as often as possible. Of course she saves the award winning performances for when we are out in the public - the supermarket has great acoustics. The most high pitched squeals and accompanying scowls are saved for sweet elderly people who just might happen to smile at her or heaven forbid say hello. To keep up her best form she maintains a rigourous practice schedule at home.

She is dedicated, I will give her that.

So of course when it was kitty style photo time this week and Kitty decided to sit down for all of three shots, do a few dance moves then leave in protest and throw herself on the floor when I made her come inside, I could have bribed her (with sweets) or tried to negotiate (with sweets) or just given her the whole darn bag of sweets and gone off to practice my own tantrums and squealing and heck I could have even thrown in some door slamming too. Instead we went to playgroup and I let her take out some of her pent up toddler frustration on a basket of plastic fruit and the paints on the craft table while I made do with these crummy photos - this week this dear readers this is as good as it gets.

Kitty wears

bow - belongs to her big sister

white spencer as a tee - marquise

vintage cardigan - mislaidtreasures

skinny jeans - gap

shoes - converse

We are linking up with all the cute kiddos over at small style and little vintage style again this week.

sewing for blythe

2011-08-02T13:38:00.005+10:00

Last week one of the lovely craft room girls brought bags and bags of delicious fabrics to give away after she did some stash busting. I hate to admit that I was rather greedy, especially when it came to tiny prints and trims. I just couldn't resist. They are all going to be put to good use. This is just a small selection, but enough to get me started on some new dresses for the blythe girls in our family. It is Lottie's birthday at the end of the month and maybe, just maybe, there will be a new dolly to celebrate with us. And of course they will all need some party dresses.

If you live on Sydney's northern beaches and are looking for some crafty fun, why not come and join us at the craft room. Find out more here.

and the winner is......

2011-08-01T13:25:00.003+10:00

Natasha from little love!

None of that computerised number generator stuff here. Half the excitement of a give-away is writing down all the names on little scraps of paper, placing them in a pretty bowl, holding my breath and drawing out the lucky gal. And this time I can't think of a nicer winner. Hopefully this will bring a little smile to her face.

Thank you so much for all the entries and sweet words on my blogiversary. Hopefully I will still be going in another five years!

kitty style

2011-07-28T13:37:00.006+10:00

Kitty style this week is a special treat. She is wearing the most gorgeous dress hand knitted by the super talented Kylie of mealy and i. I have lusted after a soft grey knitted dress for Kitty for a long time and being a non yarn crafty person, and having no luck finding one second hand, I did the only thing I could and asked a fabulous knitter to make one for me. Kylie used tikki's wonderful bloom pattern and I have to say I am in love with it. The details are gorgeous yet the style is simple and it will look fabulous in warmer weather on its own or in cooler months over a tee and tights.

The only sad thing about these pictures is that I pulled out Kitty's patent black mary-janes to wear and they no longer fit! I guess that means it is shoe shopping time again. This girl has giant feet. She will be going into size 8. I don't think my other children wore 8's until they were at least 3 and Kitty has only just turned two.

kitty wears

handknitted dress - mealy and i

pattern by tikki

I am linking up with small style again this week. And there is still a few days left to enter my giveaway over here. I am trying to do some stash busting so the package might even grow!

a new dress for betsy

2011-07-26T14:14:00.003+10:00

Betsy's wardrobe is very bare. I keep planning all these wonderful outfits in my head but they never seem to get to the sewing stage. The poor girl needed something of her own to wear. I think she was getting rather sick of borrowing Sunny's clothes. And I would do anything to avoid any sisterly spats. I grew up with sisters and I know that battles over clothes are not pretty.

So here she is in her new chu things ensemble. The only problem is that now she has been spoilt with such beautiful craftsmanship I am afraid she may turn up her nose at my home-made efforts.

*sigh*

I guess that means I need to do more shopping.

If you want to enter my anniversary giveaway there is still time. Just pop over here and leave a comment.

giveaway time

2011-07-22T13:30:00.003+10:00

Better late than never!

In celebration of my five year blogoversary (or is that blogiversary???) I have put together a little bundle of sweetness. There is an assortment of fabrics including some vintage Holly Hobbie and vintage clown print, some cosmo strawberries and a sweet little japanese goldilocks print. Some vintage patterns - the ones pictured are size newborn, 1 and 2 but if the winner would like some other sizes I will do my best to accommodate. I have vintage patterns in most kids sizes up to 8 and also some ladies sizes mostly from the 1970's if you would like those better. I have also included two brand new patterns. The first is the lovely hello birdie pattern by Lisa over at the red thread and the second is a pencil roll pattern from pink chalk studio.

I will also include some vintage storybook cards similar to these and if the winner just happens to be in Australia I will include a little vintage tea cup and saucer from my collection. I haven't decided which one to say good-bye to yet, but I promise it will be pretty.

Now the kind of giveaway I like best is one that doesn't make you jump through hoops. So you don't have to follow me or tweet me or do anything of the sort - heck you don't even need to be a regular reader. Just say hello in the comments on this post and you go in the draw. I will leave it open until next Friday night the 29th of July. I will post anywhere in the world (except for the teacup) so go on, toot your party whistle and say hello!

afternoon tea party

2011-07-18T14:25:00.006+10:00

Thank you for all the birthday wishes for Kitty. We had a lovely afternoon tea party with just the immediate family and grandparents. I kept it simple with two kinds of sandwich (chicken and salmon/cream cheese/snowpea sprouts), home made sausage rolls, hot spinach cob dip and birthday cake. Drinks were raspberry limeade, sparkling fruit punch and tea & coffee.

I ran out of frosting when doing the cake so didn't have enough to do a crumb coat or even get the sides thick enough - so yes, they are crumbs you see all over the cake - but it was still pretty and very delicious. I used vintage bread & butter plates, most of which belonged to Mr Bigs nana as did the glass cake stand. The tablecloth is a vintage one from my collection and it is spread on top of raspberry gingham sheeting fabric from Spotlight. Kitty wore my favourite vintage dress. And most important of all we had a lovely time celebrating the birthday of our smallest girl. It was the perfect party!

Look at that funny face! That was the expression I got when I told her she had to wait until after the singing before she could have a piece of cake.

happy birthday kitty

2011-07-17T20:07:00.011+10:00

She likes cake. Can you tell?

She also likes dollies, singing happy birthday to herself, dancing with a little skip, paper and colours (which is what she calls pencils/crayons/textas), drinking tea, pretending to be asleep (fake snore and all), screaming with a high pitched wail and lasagne.

She doesn't like socks, mummy singing, vegetables that aren't disguised, strangers talking to her (or really just people in general) and being told 'no'.

Happy birthday sweet Kitty. I love you to the moon and back.

(I am cheating this week and linking this post up with little vintage style and small style. Nothing beats this outfit for this week so I am not even going to try)

winter holiday snaps

2011-07-15T14:13:00.008+10:00

Just a few holiday snaps. We spent five days at the snow and then five days in Canberra. The snow was magical. There was close to 60cm of snow over our first two nights there and even a blizzard and a blackout. Lucky we had an open fireplace to keep us warm overnight. The next few days we had clear skies and mountains of fluffy white snow to play in. It was amazing.

Sadly for most of the Canberra part Kitty and I were tucked up in a warm apartment or at the doctors or the hospital. At least Mr Big and the older kids got to do some exploring.

I haven't forgotten about my promised give-away, but I probably won't get it organised until early next week. I am caught up in a whirlwind of birthday celebrations and baking right now. My sweet lovely husband had a birthday while we were on holiday and because the sick girl came first it meant he came last - no card, no cake - just a few drawings from the kids and a kisses and hugs. I am hoping to make up for it a bit this weekend. And this wee girl is turning two on Sunday! She still has chicken legs and a grumpy face but we won't be trading her in any time soon.

kitty style

2011-07-14T11:39:00.006+10:00

Instead of sorting through all the holiday photos or looking through my vintage patterns to find the perfect giveaway I am being lazy and enjoying getting back to the weekly routine of my kitty style posts. They are fun and easy and don't require much thinking - which is exactly what I need today.

Kitty wears

spencer - target

vintage cardigan - mislaidtreasures

jeans - gap

crochet hat - from our local markets

shoes - pediped

I posted a while ago about my favourite cardigan and how I had found a replacement. And this is it! Sure it isn't wool and it isn't hand knitted but it is super sweet and soft and as close as I was going to get to the pattern of the original. This one is once again from mislaidtreasures on ebay. I can't tell you how much I love that shop. Everything is new old stock and completely fabulous. Shipping is always reasonable and very fast plus the owner Alison is just sweet as pie. It is one of those stores you need to keep your eye on and check regularly. One day it will be full of mens polyester briefs from the 1970's and the next knitted kids cardigans or sweet little dresses. There really is something for everyone if you are patient.

We are joining in the linky love over at hart + sew and small style.

happy blogoversary to me!

2011-07-13T11:43:00.003+10:00

That's right folks - five years! I can hardly believe it. The big day was actually last week while we were away on holidays. So this week I will be having a little giveaway as a belated celebration. But first I need to unpack all the bags, sort through a mountain of washing and a trillion and one photos and deal with a sick little girl who just wants mumma cuddles all day long.

winter holidays

2011-07-02T20:13:00.004+10:00

image source

We are off for some adventures in the snow.

be back soon

xoxo

kitty style

2011-07-01T12:58:00.004+10:00

This is the little dress I wanted to post about last week. I love it so much. And to make it even more perfect, some vintage cardigans arrived from here, and the red one is a perfect match for the dress! Now she can wear it summer and winter.

And to keep her happy in these photos I gave her some little stickers - just in case you are wondering what she finds so fascinating with her fingers.

Kitty wears

vintage dress - ivy loves jack

tights - red robin

vintage cardigan - mislaidtreasures

shoes - converse

We are linking up with little vintage style and small style again this week. Come and join in the fun!

sugar balloon

2011-06-28T10:02:00.003+10:00

Look at Miss Betsy in her lovely new headband from sugar balloon. I won this in a giveaway April held when she opened her new shop. It arrived last week and it is just gorgeous! Thank you so much April, we love it!

Being fairly new to the world of Blythe I am only just discovering all the amazing goodies that are available. I could waste hours on etsy just looking at all the tiny loveliness, and April's shop is one of my favourites. The craftsmanship and details are just amazing. Betsy and Sunny both want to wear it and it seems they are not as good at sharing as I had hoped, so I think we will be needing another one of these sweet headbands very soon.

Sorry the photo isn't that great. I am still just practising trying to capture all of Betsy's beauty. It is much harder than I thought, especially with her glorious translucent skin which is very very shiny. I had intended to get her face matted but, even though she is hard to photograph, I do love her glow and am a bit worried that matting might ruin it.

Betsy had her first outing on the weekend. Lottie and I went to see Mary Poppins and decided to take the girls along for a day out. You can read all about it over here.

keep cup for little tea drinkers

2011-06-27T13:43:00.005+10:00

My kids have all been tea drinkers from a very young age. I used to make up their formula with chamomile tea when they had unsettled tummies and they have always enjoyed a cup of rooibos tea or other herbal tea as toddlers. Now I let the older ones have milky earl grey most afternoons. They drink it in nanna's old teacups and it is lovely way to warm up after a school day.

Kitty on the other hand is still breastfed and never had formula and she won't even drink milk. She loves milky rooibos tea though and has at least 3 or 4 cups a day. It was always a little messy as she isn't too good with teacups yet so I was so excited to come across this little cup on pinterest. It is called a keep cup and I love it! So does Kitty. Now tea time has a lot less spills and her tea stays warm while she is sipping. I bought mine from baby be natural. They have free shipping and it arrived super fast. We have had ours for a few weeks now and I have just ordered another one to keep in the baby bag for when we are out and about. I have gone with a slightly larger size as Kitty loves her tea and can knock back two of these one straight after the other. And this time I ordered direct from keep cup as you can get all fancy and customise your own colours!

Look at my little lady - pinkies out even when it isn't a china cup!

And just reminding my lovely readers that this is NOT a sponsored post. I am getting very over all the advertising rubbish clogging up blogland lately especially when the same product is being touted by everyone at the same time. Heaven help me if I have to see another Cars post or shower wipe demo. I only share stuff I find myself and love and that I think others might like too.

from the op-shop

2011-06-24T13:15:00.007+10:00

Last Saturday afternoon Lottie and I went op-shopping together. We are trying to find a little vintage suitcase - something like this one - for Sunny to travel in and store all her dresses. I have been looking for months now and still no luck. I have even been scouring ebay but very few seem to come up in Australia and the postage from the US would push it out of our price range. If you have a sweet little old suitcase hiding away somewhere and would be willing to part with it for a reasonable price please let me know. Even though we didn't find a case I did bring home a few goodies.

A lovely woollen coat for Lottie. The lining needs mending and it is a little scratchy but still very sweet. I am sure it will get worn over a few layers when we head to chilly Canberra next month.

A few sweet little knits for the Kitten - I love that belted vest!

A vintage tablecloth featuring Australian wild flowers and a few forks. We have a problem in this house with disappearing teaspoons and I think they must be going somewhere very exciting because the forks have decided to join them. So now I am adding cutlery collecting to my thrift shop expeditions. Hopefully these ones decide to stay.

If you like checking out wonderful thrifted goodies head over to lucy violet vintage. Kylie seems to find a never ending stream of treasures. I wish I could go op-shopping with her one day.

kitty style

2011-06-23T17:06:00.008+10:00

Kitty wore vintage almost every day this week. I had saved a special outfit for today so we could take photos and join in little vintage style but we were in a rush this morning and I couldn't find the tights and then I realised I had lost 15 minutes somewhere and the big kids were late for school. And of course then Kitty decided to join the mayhem by refusing all breakfast options, throwing her shoes out the back door and screaming 'NO' at me very loudly - welcome to the toddler years!

So todays outfit ended up being whatever was on the top of the clean clothes basket, so much for my lovely plans to show of my latest purchase from here. It will have to wait until next week - that is if I can ever find the matching tights.

spencer - marquise

dress - gap

jeans - gap

shoes - converse

hat - kintted by this lovely lady

Anna knitted this lovely hat for Kitty when she was just a little dot of a newborn. This is her third winter in it! I know it is a bit too small now, but it is her favourite and I can't resist getting in a few more wears.

We are linking up with mama loves papa again. Come and see the fun over here.

And thanks for all the sweet words on my hottie cover - they made my day.

the hottie challenge

2011-06-21T12:21:00.004+10:00

My hottie for the challenge is finally finished and on its way to miss curlypops. My first two hotties were covered with ruffles made from vintage sheets. The first was too floppy and the second I forgot to leave an opening in the back to get the hot water bottle or cardboard hanger in! Instead of unpicking or making more ruffles I decided to start from scratch. I saw this fabulous ottoman on pinterest and decided to make a hottie version. I used grey wool given to me by this lovely lady and a large vintage doily I found at the op-shop a few weeks ago.

I love this look and now have a whole list of doily projects planned using the same idea. How about a cushion cover or a journal cover, what about a stool or some headbands - the possibilities are endless!

a lovely day out

2011-06-20T10:38:00.008+10:00

Yesterday we woke up early, the sun was clear and bright, football was cancelled because of wet fields - so it was the perfect day for an outing with the kids. We hopped on a bus to Manly, a ferry to Circular Quay and then another ferry to Watson's Bay. The kids climbed trees and ran around the park, enjoying a day outdoors after what seems like weeks of rain. We ate fish and chips sitting on the grass and soaked up that glorious sunshine.

On the way home we stopped at the Quay for some gelatissimo, dozed on the ferry ride back to Manly and came home exhausted.

It was a fabulous family funday sunday. If you are in Sydney you should try it. Next time we are planning to head to Woolwich for lunch at the pub - hopefully there will be some trees to climb.

kitty style

2011-06-17T13:30:00.005+10:00

Kitty wears

dress worn as a top - gap

jeans - gap

shoes - pediped

This kid really is four seasons in one day - or more like five minutes. We went from the usual serious little face to the head up squashed face grin when I asked for a smile. Then came the giggly natural smile and then the tears. Oh boy, those tears. She feels heartbreak like no other and makes sure everyone knows about it.

This is a favourite gap dress that I picked up second hand last winter and she is wearing it again this winter as a top. The sleeves are just beautiful. I think I am going to have to try and copy them on a mama made dress for next year when this one will no longer fit.

No vintage pics this week so I am skipping little vintage style, but we are joining in the small style fun over at mama loves papa.

meet betsy

2011-06-16T09:41:00.004+10:00

I finally have a blythe doll all of my own. Isn't she lovely?

the gentlewoman

2011-06-15T14:07:00.006+10:00

Do you read magazines?

Back when I used to commute to work each day I would read lots and lots. I would buy at least two or three every week. These days I buy hardly any. I read the trashy ones when I am at the hairdresser or doctor's office and I buy one every now and then if it catches my eye. Magazines were such a throw away thing for me back then whereas now I like to choose a good one and savour it. I read a lot online like Maeve, papier mache, babekins and la petite - they are so lovely and they are free! Buying a magazine seems like much more of a splurge. So when I do get a hard copy to curl up with in a chair I want lush pages, images that grab me and well written thought provoking content. I don't ask for much do I?

Frankie was a favourite for a long time but now it mostly makes me feel old, peppermint is lovely too but hasn't completely won my heart.

And then last week I stumbled across the gentlewoman and I know I have found my perfect magazine. Seriously - I am in love. I am only half way through, I am taking it slowly because I know I will be sad when I have finished. There are only two editions a year so I know I will be lusting after the next copy before it is even out. I am currently searching out the previous two issues which I missed to try and tide me over until issue #4.

Believe me, this is the best magazine I have read in a long long time. Go and buy it. You need it in your life. I mean who could look at that image of Adele on the cover and not want to take it home? Not me, that's for sure. I love the gentlewoman.

Sales pitch over.

I am off to curl up with my magazine and enjoy a quiet half an hour before the kids come home from school and the baby wakes up.

the hottie challenge

2011-06-14T16:31:00.004+10:00

Don't be led astray by the content of this blog - I do actually still make stuff.

At the moment I am working on my hottie for the hottie challenge. My first attempt was a bit too floppy so I am now working on hottie #2. To give you a little hint I am making mine using some of these. Find out more about the hottie challenge over at curly pops and see more hotties over here.

flourless orange cake

2011-06-13T11:29:00.004+10:00

Delicious.

The only problem is that I seem to be the only one in the house that thinks so. I guess that means I have to eat the whole cake!

I used this recipe from taste.com.au

flourless orange cake
Ingredients (serves 12)
Melted butter, to grease
2 oranges
3 eggs
215g (1 cup) caster sugar
300g (3 cups) almond meal
1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
Orange Syrup
1 orange
155g (3/4 cup) caster sugar

Method
Preheat oven to 170°C. Brush a round 22cm (base measurement) springform pan with melted butter to lightly grease. Line base with non-stick baking paper.
Place the oranges in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil over medium heat. Cook for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain. Return to pan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and cook for 15 minutes (this will reduce the bitterness of the peel). Refresh under cold water. Drain. Coarsely chop oranges. Remove and discard any seeds.
Place the orange in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth.
Use an electric beater to whisk the eggs and sugar in a bowl until thick and pale. Add the orange, almond meal and baking powder and gently fold until just combined. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Set aside for 15 minutes to cool.
Meanwhile, to make the orange syrup, use a zester to remove the rind from the orange. (Alternatively, use a vegetable peeler to peel the rind from orange. Use a small sharp knife to remove white pith. Cut rind into thin strips.) Juice orange.
Place rind in a saucepan of boiling water and cook for 5 minutes or until soft. Drain. Return to pan with orange juice and sugar. Place over low heat and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until the sugar dissolves and the syrup thickens.
Turn cake onto a serving plate. Use a skewer to gently prick the top. Spoon over syrup. Cut into wedges to serve.

wordless weekend {new haircut}

2011-06-11T16:14:00.005+10:00

kitty style {and lottie too}

2011-06-09T10:58:00.005+10:00

I ended up missing Kitty style last week (we did get out of our pyjamas but I just plum forgot).

So this week you get a bonus kid playing along to make up for it.

Kitty is wearing another little dress from mislaidtreasures. It is the same as the dress she wore a few weeks ago but this one is brown & blue and the last one was navy & orange. Both dresses are favourites at the moment and she wears at least one of them each week.

Kitty wears

spencer - marquise

vintage dress as a top - mislaidtreasures

jeans - gap

shoes - converse

Lottie wears

tee - Stella McCartney for gap

leggings - gap

denim skirt - country road

boots - clarks

I took these photos at mini golf on the weekend. The kids went a bit crazy. Give a 6 year old boy a club and ball and he gets a weird look in his eye and a lunatic grin to match. Kitty just wanted to lick the golf balls. I tried stopping her the first three hundred and seventy two times but then gave up. My energy was better spent trying to control the 6 year old from accidentally clubbing strangers in the head. Of course Lottie played seriously - this kid thrives on competition.

More cute vintage loving kids are over at hart + sew, and even more mini fashionistas over at mama loves papa.

we love our local library

2011-06-07T11:37:00.004+10:00

Our local library runs a fabulous kids lego club. If you have a lego loving kid you will know how all consuming lego love is and how great it is to talk lego and build stuff and even better - build stuff with someone else's lego that you don't have at home! Will has so much fun and counts down the days to lego club each month. The library supplies all the lego and a few adults and older kids help run it. Will is already planning the creation he will make to take along next month for show and tell.

While he was busy creating I stocked up some new books - lots of lovely embroidery books for me and some Ottoline for Lottie, as well as a big bundle of books for the Premiers Reading challenge.

I love our local library. As well as having a great selection of books and fabulous free activities they also have book gnomes - how cute is that!

Look what I won!

2011-06-06T12:23:00.007+10:00

Lucky me - I am the winner of the fabulous give away over at blythe blog! This gorgeous little headband is heading my way thanks to April. Her new shop sugar balloon is opening Monday US time. Head over there quickly and see if you can snap up one of her gorgeous goodies for yourself. She is even having a grand opening special of 5% off all orders if you use the code blytheblog.

Thanks so much April. I know Sunny will look super sweet in her new head band and I am sure she will share it with her new sisters that are coming home soon.

I have had a few anonymous comments asking where to buy blythe dolls from. I am no expert, being new to blythe myself, but you can find blythe dolls easily on ebay - although there have been a few fakes on there lately - it is a good idea to search the blythe flickr groups or join a blythe forum to find out more. Hobby Link Japan and Junie Moon are reputable sellers who ship to Australia and for peace of mind they are the places I would be buying from at the moment.

little vintage style {remembering}

2011-06-02T13:15:00.008+10:00

I was going to skip little vintage style this week. It has been wet and miserable most days and I just haven't had a chance to take many photos. But then I saw Stacey's post and decided to do the same as her and pull out some old photos of something I had made from a vintage pattern.

This little top which I made for Lottie back in 2006 is probably my most favourite garment I have ever sewn. I used a vintage pattern and an old vintage table cloth. She wore it so much that summer. Seeing her this small makes my heart ache. They grow so fast. I love these super saturated pictures too - they seem to capture that moment so perfectly.

Kitty will be big enough to wear the top next summer. And when she grows out of it, I will pack it away safely in a box of treasured items - full of all the things I just cannot say goodbye to.

Why not go and see all the other cute kids over at little vintage style. I will be back with Kitty style tomorrow - that is if it isn't raining and we even bother to get out of our pyjamas.

rain

2011-06-01T14:08:00.004+10:00

It has been raining heavily the last few days. Yesterday it was even hailing as the kids trudged to school. In a bad mummy moment I sent them down a short cut that led to some very wet feet and toes wrinkled up like sultanas by the end of the day.

The nice thing about the rain is that it is perfect for staying indoors and crafting. I finished this yesterday. Does anyone know the best way of mounting fabric in a frame? Hopefully it will be hanging on a wall by the weekend.

little vintage people {thrifty friday}

2011-05-28T10:39:00.005+10:00

How cute are these folks all lined up for a shot! Yesterday at my local op-shop I picked up a bag of assorted duplo, playmobile and little people pieces. It was tightly packed, sealed shut with a $18 price tag. I loaded it into the stroller but had pretty much decided to put it back on the shelf ($18 hardly seemed a bargain when I couldn't really tell what was in the bag) , until a saleswoman told me I could have any kids toys for half price. And when I got home and emptied the bag I realised I had come across a secret hideout for tiny figurines of all types. There were 39 assorted small people in the bag as well as a bird, fish, playground setting, market stall and lots of other pieces which I haven't quite figured out yet.

I also picked up this fabulous little set for $3 and it is unused! I had something similar when I was a kid but I think this one is more likely to be from the 80's. The word cards haven't even had the letters punched out yet! It is a bit old for Kitty and a bit young for the other kids but I am sure in a year or two it will get lots of use. I remember loving the version I had when I was small.

kitty style {and other stuff}

2011-05-26T11:27:00.007+10:00

I am feeling a bit lost this week. I seem to have jumped headlong back into blogging without much though about what I actually want for this little space of mine. I have realised how this blog is such a small view of things. There is nothing much about what really goes on in my life, the struggle I have with my messy house, my personal thoughts and battles, my relationships. There isn't even much sewing or crafting going on which is how it all began. And the hardest part is I don't know what I want from this whole blogging thing anymore anyway - but I do know I am not ready to let it go, there are just too many good friends and fabulous things to see and be part of. And I am coming up for five years here, five years folks! I can't miss that little excuse for a celebration. So I guess that means I will still be here posting little snippets of this and that, a million and one photographs of the smalls and generally just pootling along.

Back to the all important Kitty style this week. This little cardigan was knitted for Lottie when she was small. It was my favourite baby knit ever. This is the second winter Kitty has worn it and after much searching I have found a replacement - but more on that another week. The vintage dress is old - very very old - and quite delicate. That's why it is saved for rainy days at home rather than out and and about. I started collecting vintage kids clothes when my eldest son was small over 20 years ago! This little dress has been with me for years and I have no idea where I originally got it from. I have a feeling it may even be a nightdress, but I love it too much to use it for that.

cardigan - hand-me-down-hand-knit originally made for her big sister

dress - vintage from my collection

leggings - last seasons gymboree tights with the feet cut off

We are linking up again with hart+sew this week for little vintage style. Why don't you go and check out all the wee ones rocking their vintage gear.

And there are even more cute kids to be found over at small style.

{wordless weekend}

2011-05-22T13:55:00.003+10:00

little clicks

2011-05-20T20:20:00.004+10:00

Lottie took this photo as her entry for the blythe club competition. She was so funny and sweet setting it all up and getting it just right. It came out quite dark though as the light was fading, so I showed her picasa and let her play. She had so much fun making it bright, then black and white, then colour saturated, then all soft focus and then back to bright again. I amazed at the restraint she showed with her final version. It came out rather lovely I think.

She used my camera for this, but it is only a little point and shoot so very easy for her to handle. She does have her own but it is waterproof and such a hassle to get the memory card thing out of the casing to upload to the computer. I think it might be time for me to get myself a new camera and hand mine down to her.

We are joining in little clicks over at little love. I think we might have to make it a regular part of our week.

do you pin?

2011-05-20T14:33:00.003+10:00

It feels like I am always the last girl on the block to join in all the fun stuff. But maybe I'm not. Have you discovered pinterest yet? If not, let me know and I will send you an invitation, I think I have five left as it seems that everyone I know is already pinning. A word of warning though, it is a time waster - I have spent hours looking at loveliness and following links - but boy oh boy is it fun!

A big thank you to sweet Kate for helping me join the club.

kitty style

2011-05-19T08:11:00.007+10:00

How sweet is this jumper! I saw it on etsy and just had to have it. I knew it would only just fit but I couldn't resist. And like I said the other day, vintage winter goodies are sparse in this house, so that was another reason I couldn't say no. I am so glad I did buy it as Kitty has already worn it five or six times and will get a few more wears out of it yet.

spencer - target

jumper - vintage from ivylovesjack

jeans - hand-me-down pumpkin patch

hairbow - ella and kate

Go and join in the linky love over at Stacy's little vintage style, and Morgan's small style.