tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80784140023379664002012-02-02T08:07:46.855+13:00Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.comBlogger2481100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-26235784789915906762012-01-31T07:53:00.000+13:002012-01-31T07:53:37.592+13:00

The latest thing catching my eye is anything with a geometric look so I thought I'd share a few geometric designs I'm loving (and some colouring in sheets too.)FlowerPress 'Triangle Twist' Quilting CottonThis is part of Susie's FlowerPress 'Toy Box' series of fabric designs available on Etsy. (Check out Susie's wonderful blog here too- http://www.flowerpress.blogspot.com) Kiko Cyan Geo Stud

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-42709065455598822082012-01-27T10:26:00.003+13:002012-01-27T10:35:09.570+13:00

Well I've just finished Week 2 of the 6 week Cross Fit Boot Camp I signed up to at Mount Cross Fit through a Grabone deal.  Anyone who knows me knows that I am NOT a morning person and am pretty much the most unlikely person to join up to an exercise programme but I am so glad I did- it is awesome! Running barefoot on the beach this morning as the sun was rising was really cool and the workouts

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-33135308542064659522012-01-26T09:00:00.001+13:002012-01-26T09:01:13.489+13:00

Hi all, I hope you're having a great week. I've got a lovely giveaway to share from Laurene at Munchkins that would be great for anyone about to have a new baby (or know someone that's about to). It's a new product called a Baby Head Rest that reduces the risk of flat head in newborns. I would have loved one of these when my kiddies were newborns- when Jack was little the doctor said he was

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-37986751918450127012012-01-18T15:12:00.002+13:002012-01-18T18:08:01.669+13:00

Just before Christmas I was lucky enough to win this cute pair of baby shoes from the lovely blog Miss MollyCoddle. I was able to choose the pair I wanted from Sarah's Felt Shop (after much deliberation as there were so many cute ones to choose from) and chose these 'rocket launcher' ones as I love the fabric. Jack looks so cute in them- thank you again Sarah :) And then yesterday I read this

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-60354830023384596842012-01-13T11:04:00.002+13:002012-01-13T11:13:32.923+13:00

Last year I decided to finally start an exercise programme. I started in September and my main motivation was summer and wanting to buy my first new pair of togs in 5 years (I've been pregnant for 3 of the last 5 summers and didn't bother buying a new pair of togs between pregnancies). In the last 5 years (and quite a few years before that!) my only form of exercise has been walking which, while

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-13394165460710065712012-01-12T07:55:00.003+13:002012-01-31T11:00:32.935+13:00

I was talking to a mum a few weeks ago with the same age baby as Jack (nearly 9 months) and we were talking about feeding, solids, finger foods and all of that stuff us mums talk about.  Her baby was into his mashed solids but she hadn't started him on any finger foods and was wondering what I gave Jack. Jack has gone from being a baby who wouldn't eat a thing to what my step dad calls a 'boa

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-59199640898825824902012-01-10T07:53:00.000+13:002012-01-10T07:53:27.253+13:00

Hello all and a Happy New Year. I hope you all had a great new years- we had a really good one thanks to a friend's genius idea for 6 of us mums to leave the kids with the dads at her house (6 dads, 11 children including 4 babies) and head to a nice hotel for drinks and not come back till all the kids were tucked up in bed. Can you believe they let us.... and got them all to sleep! A really fun

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-70589171685494502522011-12-30T18:24:00.001+13:002011-12-30T18:26:41.071+13:00

Just sneaking in one more post for 2011;) I've been meaning to share some party drink recipes I've come across lately and today's Herald had some more so I thought I'd share them in case you are wanting to make some party drinks for tomorrow night.  Some have rather fancy ingredients but I guess a good liquor store should stock them ?! I prefer recipes where you make it all in a jug/pitcher so

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-44109021512861197502011-12-23T13:54:00.000+13:002011-12-23T13:54:14.325+13:00

Just wanted to say a big Merry Christmas to you all and thank you again for reading my blog. I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas day and a great start to the new year. I am really looking forward to 2012- lots of plans, projects and things I'm looking forward to sharing with you :)This is my last post for 2011 so here are a few christmassy pics from around my home...Baby food jars decorated

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-86229930875635601322011-12-15T10:15:00.000+13:002011-12-15T10:15:45.024+13:00

For this years Kiwi Christmas Ornament Swap after much deliberating I decided to make some crocheted christmas balls. Luckily I started ages ago as life has been pretty crazy lately (Jack's tonsilitis lasted 2 weeks and he was one very grumpy baby) so I only just finished the last one on the day we were meant to be sending them! Am pleased I stuck with them though as I do like the look of them

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-48902822901652630712011-12-09T10:08:00.001+13:002011-12-09T10:10:21.917+13:00

Hi all, have just got my internet connection back after 24 hours without a phone line ( I coped..just!).  We are getting a fence built and the fencer cut through the phone line yesterday just as I was going to start collating the giveaway entries-127 entries all up including facebook entries! I put all the entries into an excel doc in the end and used the random number generator to pick the

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-66980162986492073612011-12-04T21:18:00.000+13:002011-12-04T21:18:32.781+13:00

Well I'm still loving scallops..and bows...but lately it's chevron that's catching my eye. I've always liked the look of the chevron pattern but to be honest didn't actually know that it was called 'chevron'! Maybe it's a throw back to my Peanuts obsession from my childhood :) Here are a few chevron goodies I've come across tonight... while my hubby watches last nights Fight for Life boxing

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-85991059948961121312011-12-01T08:38:00.001+13:002011-12-01T08:44:42.988+13:00

Happy 1st December! To say a BIG thank you to all of you that read my blog and follow mousehouse on facebook  I'm having another Christmas giveaway... here's what you could win...a mousehouse waterproof 'Babushka' purse (I bought the fabric for the purse from Stitchbird and I think it's my most favourite fabric yet which is saying something!) a Cath Kidston notebook 20 metres of red/white bakers

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com111tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-39092707193395148902011-11-22T15:52:00.002+13:002011-11-22T16:28:05.056+13:00

When I was teaching there were quite a few of us that made two lists on the board with "Must do's" and "Can do's"- generally on a Friday with tasks and activities that the children needed to get done and a few things they could do when finished.  I think I need to write one of those lists as I am really good at doing things on my "can do" list- crafting, making stuff, more crafting but not so

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-42718362741292968122011-11-21T11:06:00.005+13:002012-01-15T14:23:48.506+13:00

My laptop sits on the kitchen bench most days. This is where the kids also sit for 3 meals and morning/afternoon tea most days and where they sit waiting (ever so patiently ha!) for what ever meal is coming their way next. So somedays these links on youtube and the associated 5 minutes of peace I get are just too good not to share. Some aren't the best quality but my kids (aged 2 and 4) enjoy

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-9567813305887259782011-11-15T13:07:00.001+13:002011-11-15T13:09:53.251+13:00

I spend so much time in my house I think I am actually beginning to morph into it in a way... my wardrobe is definitely starting to show a bit of a colour theme!  Pink top Cotton On, shoes from Overland, crochet necklace by me from this tutorial Top from Cotton on, shoes from Rubi, bracelet from North Beach, necklace from Jaded Seas I even bought this yellow nailpolish the other day (Revlon

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-73665917966401303172011-11-11T08:51:00.000+13:002011-11-11T08:51:27.986+13:00

I've been checking out some of my favourite online shops lately getting a few ideas for christmas pressies- I am loving all these colourful goodies so I thought I'd share them with you! Kikki-k diary gift pack Envirosax bag from Green with Envy Skip Hop kids cup from Yum Yum Kids Babushka fairy lights from Kid Republic Robot from Kid Republic Apple shadow box display shelf from Candy Stripe

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-34817043727041635482011-11-06T12:53:00.001+13:002011-11-06T15:15:40.123+13:00

Christmas crafting and sharing has well and truly begun in blogland which I'm loving- so many awesome ideas and inspiration! Here are some christmassy things I'm also loving...♥ Gorgeous christmas covers on the latest issues of two my favourite mags♥ Cute christmas fabric I bought from Sew Pretty♥ The beginnings of a cool christmas craft project I can't wait to share!  I've made a list of some

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-83595276028348063062011-11-02T08:02:00.000+13:002011-11-02T08:02:19.931+13:00

  Isn't it great having crafty friends to get cool ideas from? My friend Krista gave me this idea to make a roll up busy book as she was making a neat panel style book for a little girl to play with in the car. So I thought I would make something similar for a 1 year old but make it so it can be laid out on the floor to play with and then rolled up when finished with. And other than cutting out

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-81866721272159932552011-10-26T07:43:00.000+13:002011-10-26T07:43:00.730+13:00

Finally another beginners sewing tutorial- sorry it has taken so long! These lavender sachet's make lovely little gifts or a sweet thing to make for your little ones bed and they are a great way to use up any scraps of fabric you have. You will needYour chosen fabric- you could use the same fabric for the top and bottom of your sachet like mine or two different fabrics that complement each other.

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-5820845415098405712011-10-20T20:21:00.000+13:002011-10-20T20:21:55.009+13:00

My sister had her baby shower a few months ago now (she is now the proud mum of a baby boy so Jack has a boy cousin close in age which is great!) and I made a few games for it that I've been meaning to share here for a while now.  Both are nice and easy to prepare so they might come in handy if you've got a baby shower to organise soon. The first one is a take on Pass the Parcel.  It's a great

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-48704877244115617262011-10-13T07:42:00.001+13:002011-10-13T07:56:51.164+13:00

Well it's been a while since I've been here but life has been pretty crazy lately (well no more than usual with 3 kiddies I guess) but I thought it was about time I wrote a 'my creative space' post as it feels like ages since I wrote one! Am feeling pretty sad at the moment about the terrible oil spill happening here in our beautiful Bay of Plenty  (local writer Jenny Rudd has written about it

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-50551416117628727802011-10-02T14:52:00.001+13:002011-10-02T17:24:17.692+13:00

FYI crafty kiwi's- Dione from Sew Funky is once again hosting the Kiwi Christmas Ornament Swap- (yikes only two months till December now!) This is such a cool swap as you get to have fun making some Christmas decorations and in return you get six or seven handmade Christmas decorations from people all over New Zealand. If you have children this is really neat as they can open each parcel and hang

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-22362121436088709712011-09-29T20:13:00.002+13:002011-09-29T20:17:34.313+13:00

Are you loving the scalloped edges popping up everywhere at the moment? I am, especially after seeing my friend Anna's gorgeous homemade scallop shaped bunting for her daughters bedroom. And then on Facebook later that day I saw these cute scallop treat boxes from the lovely new party product store Dots and Spots which gave me the idea to do a little scallop admiration post. Scallop treat boxes

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-56335196784908426262011-09-28T13:33:00.002+13:002011-09-28T19:57:55.046+13:00

Bakers delight contacted me a few weeks ago asking if I would like to host a 'scrum-ptious' Rugby World Cup party- they would provide some delicious treats from their bakery as well as face paint, colouring in sheets and other goodies. Woo hoo -this blogging thing sure has a lot of perks to it! The kids were so excited about the party which was really neat and it was a great way to get them into

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-91700489725688000562011-09-25T20:51:00.000+13:002011-09-25T20:51:52.145+13:00

♥ A gift for Jack-this gorgeous Silver Circus merino top♥ The dolls house in the Dom Post, Waikato Times and The Press last weekend- world famous in NZ!♥ Looks like a restaurant meal doesn't it-homemade calamari and aioli yum!!♥ An afternoon tea of banana and blueberry smoothies and banana and blueberry muffins♥ A very easy and popular desert with the small ones- Hansels packet chocolate mousse

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-8802978519026836572011-09-22T21:08:00.001+12:002011-09-30T11:11:06.783+13:00

** Friday 30th Sep- Sign Up's are now closed ** Thanks everyone for signing up, details heading your way shortly! The Rugby World Cup has been going for a few weeks now here in New Zealand and the excitement and support for not just the All Blacks but for all the teams playing has been amazing. It's also been really neat to see my 4 year old interested in and learning about the countries in the

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-82368432943768193232011-09-19T14:10:00.002+12:002011-09-20T18:14:07.082+12:00

I made up this busy book page a while ago now for Stella who loves rainbows but wasn't too good at naming any colours except blue. I think it's my favourite page so far- I love watching her move each bead across after she's put each colour down, and she has remarkably improved her colour recognition so I put it all down to this of course ;) We were actually thinking she was colour blind for a

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-85974881655182875382011-09-15T09:57:00.001+12:002011-09-15T10:01:27.584+12:00

Well, you voted for it so here it is! I ran a little poll on my mousehouse facebook page to find out what you wanted to see next on my blog and this project won. It was close though, 4 votes for this and 3 for an 'organised home challenge' post - although I haven't actually done that yet so it was lucky this activity won as with the week I'm having it'll be a good while before I can get an

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-79288381418387640642011-09-13T10:35:00.002+12:002012-01-21T11:44:00.878+13:00

Now I know I said in my first 'Sewing for beginners' post that I have an aversion to pinning so it seems funny to be writing up how to make a pin cushion for my first lesson! But I do use my pin cushion all the time- just maybe not as much as other sewers. If you're going to get into some sewing a pin cushion is a great first project. I have kept this tutorial as the most basic pin cushion you

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-16158807449286014622011-09-09T21:27:00.021+12:002011-09-10T07:53:33.366+12:00

If you've read any of New Zealand's famous short story writer Katherine Mansfield's stories you may recognise the line in the title of this post- it's not a typo, it's the second to last line in Mansfield's rather sad story "The Dolls House". I've always wanted to be able to light up the dolls house so I was pleased to see that the Lundby transformer came back in stock the other day so I could

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-10168464408454451232011-09-02T08:10:00.007+12:002011-09-28T09:58:08.255+13:00

Did you know it's NZ Fashion Week this week? I'm no fashionista but I would love to do a massive wardrobe overhaul some day -if money was no object I think I would only keep about 3 things and just start over as my wardrobe is pretty tragic! I'm not a big clothes shopper anymore as it's a bit tricky getting out without at least one child for some shopping time and also breastfeeding makes for a

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-60445794650043691412011-08-31T12:56:00.002+12:002011-08-31T14:38:12.290+12:00

Last week I was very lucky to win a giveaway on Kiwi Mummy Blogs for a voucher from Kate at Yum Yum Kids. Check out this fabulous website as Kate doesn't just sell everything you could ever need for feeding your little ones, she is also a  qualified nutritionist and has heaps of advice and ideas for anything nutritionally related.  Here are some cute things that have caught my eye... 'Green to

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-8877179033542359872011-08-29T08:01:00.002+12:002011-10-27T08:46:15.977+13:00

Since starting my blog and especially in the last month since the Homestyle article I have had lots of lovely emails from people saying that they've been inspired to get into some crafting. Some people like me have not really sewn before and others used to sew as children/teenagers/pre kids but haven't done for a long time. So I thought I'd put together a little post with some tips and ideas for

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-60902731816095578602011-08-26T10:43:00.000+12:002011-08-26T10:43:25.883+12:00

Well, it's been a few weeks since I've been here, and I've missed it! We had a break last week and then this week I've had the classic winter cold that has left me feeling a bit worse for wear- hopefully nearing the end now though. Anyway, I came across this inspiring blog the other day full of recipes and other lovely things so I decided to have a go at making the lemon and ginger syrup (I am

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-91627897107903151312011-08-12T14:24:00.001+12:002011-08-12T14:27:41.702+12:00

There were heaps of entries for the apples giveaway from me and Kirsty from SewPretty- I decided to print out the comments so I could cut them and put into bowls for Prize 1 or 2. My trusty little giveaway helper drew out the names this morning with no peeking so....Prize 1 winner is LauraPrize 2 winner is PipCongratulations! If you could email me your addresses to megan (at) mousehouse (dot) co

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-70344719298996113752011-08-09T08:10:00.000+12:002011-08-09T08:10:11.330+12:00

Well, I finally did something on my "2011 things to do" list last week- I learnt how to bake bread yay!  I saw a recipe in a Woman's Day magazine 'Pataks' recipe liftout a few week's ago for foccacia bread so I thought it would be a good one for my first foray into bread making. I really enjoyed making the dough and it was great that Amelie could also help with the kneading.  We both got pretty

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-34164259922947817802011-08-05T08:01:00.001+12:002011-08-12T08:28:16.473+12:00

I've been wanting to do a giveaway for a while now to say thank you to all you lovely mousehouse readers, followers and 'likers' out there, especially as I've gathered quite a few more of you since posting about my dolls house last week! I got the idea to do an apple themed giveaway after the lovely feedback from my apple cosy and my crochet apple.  Also, one of the first purses I made was using

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com105tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-1201144476922891732011-08-02T21:25:00.002+12:002011-08-03T07:37:49.931+12:00

....I used the heated towel rail for the first time tonight all winter and it was so good. I have a brain that never turns off and could write a blog post a day if I had the time (But then you would probably get really sick of me). I've just stopped Jack's dream feed and he's sleeping all night but he hasn't been as settled in the day since dropping it. I am really excited about 'polyurethane'ing

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-44867491474095393242011-07-31T15:11:00.002+12:002011-07-31T15:18:24.940+12:00

♥My first crochet pear- great advice on doing a single crochet stitch thank you ladies!♥These gorgeous vests from Clare at Greenvalley crafts. Stella has worn hers nearly every day since getting it- so practical for these cold days!♥Heart pasta! My mum found it at a cafe in Napier- I've also seen it at Bel Mondo, a shop here in Tauranga.♥This lovely cupcake applique tea towel from Alex for the

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-5852011469245136802011-07-25T08:32:00.006+12:002011-09-11T16:05:52.634+12:00

About a year and a half ago I saw this post on Lil Magoolie about a Barbie dolls house inspired by the interior designer Johnathan Adler and created by photographer Michael Williams. It really stuck in my head as a brilliant project as it combines all of the things I love- interior design, crafting, and making fun things for my girls to play with. I searched on Trade Me for a suitable 'do-up' 

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com81tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-52956305814442677132011-07-19T14:20:00.002+12:002011-07-19T14:46:48.900+12:00

Hello all, I hope you are having a great week. Mine's been a busy one with a sick 2 year old and a wee baby to look after but they are both asleep now so I'm cooking a chicken soup and catching up on a bit of blogging! Here is my favourite biscuit recipe- it's my friend Kylie's recipe for choc button biscuits and they are delicious! (Makes around 25 to 30 biscuits) 200 grams butter half cup

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-50887179659609029382011-07-14T08:09:00.001+12:002011-07-25T11:20:47.047+12:00

Bonjour tout le monde! It's Bastille day today so I thought I'd share a few french things around my house, and a few french inspired goodies too. We're going to have some french onion soup for dinner after seeing the recipe in last month's 'Your Home and Garden' magazine.  I'd love to try a macaron but I'm not sure where to find them in Tauranga- if I lived in Christchurch I'd be heading here

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-82875195294335459132011-07-12T09:21:00.000+12:002011-07-12T09:21:28.492+12:00

I don't know what has come over me lately but I am really getting into cooking. I'm reading cook books, asking friends for recipes and even found myself looking at the cooking magazines in the library the other day. And normally in the magazines I read I flick right past the cooking pages but I'm now looking at them too and even cutting a few recipes out to try, very unlike me!  My hubby is a

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-4323210984601295082011-07-10T12:48:00.001+12:002011-07-10T12:49:03.460+12:00

* reading crochet books and making my first apple...bit confused as to why my stitches look different to the apple in the book though...I am doing US SC/UK DC like the book says but I end up with lines like stripes around my apple which I don't mind but just still wondering why mine looks different- anyone know?!* these 'Sipah' straws you pop in a glass of milk for a flavoured treat (from the

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-66398232412610853392011-07-07T19:43:00.000+12:002011-07-07T19:43:33.315+12:00

I was searching on Ravlery for a crochet slipper pattern the other night when I came across the pattern for this crochet necklace from Stefanie's blog A Common Thread. I really liked the look of it- crochet embellishment is so popular at the moment -I am seeing it everywhere! I used a white merino yarn that I'd already bought to make a scarf with and found a bargain chain and the little rings to

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-75324318522904244462011-07-05T21:11:00.001+12:002011-07-05T21:15:20.214+12:00

I got an email from a friend a week recently about a young kiwi mother of 3, Jaynie, who has been diagnosed with breast cancer and had a double mastectomy less than 2 weeks ago. ( You may have seen her story on Close Up.)  Up until the surgery she was still breastfeeding both her toddler and her baby. Reading her post about doing her last feeds with her boys brought tears to my eyes - I think

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-34739335667800775842011-07-04T07:29:00.000+12:002011-07-04T07:29:43.623+12:00

I am a huge fan of using fabric for art - a canvas, staple-gun and some favourite fabric equals instant art on a budget! I made this bird art work a couple of months ago now and have finally got around to sharing it with you...and a tutorial if you would like to make it yourself :) Time taken Around an hour- I did most of it at the kitchen bench while the girls ate their lunch- got to multi task

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-25108710906037988792011-07-01T09:48:00.001+12:002011-07-01T09:56:00.991+12:00

Somc crafty baking! We made these cute shortbread button biscuits the other day after seeing them on Nikole's lovely blog here. I used the shortbread recipe from the Edmonds cook book but followed Nikole's instruction for making the buttons. This Jo Seagar recipe is pretty much the same as the  Edmonds one for making shortbread if you don't have the cook book.Some button bikkies for some crafty

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-39288194482532022802011-06-27T20:58:00.002+12:002011-06-27T21:12:47.603+12:00

About a year or so ago I signed up to a free newsletter from the website Simple Savings. One of their recent newsletters had the idea of doing a soup swap with friends which I thought was a great idea, especially now that it's getting pretty cold here! Luckily I have a few crafty friends who are also great cooks so at our craft morning last weekend we all brought along enough soup to share with

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-72556249455209807172011-06-23T08:11:00.002+12:002011-06-25T15:53:36.934+12:00

I got a lovely email a while back from Melissa who reads my blog and is a primary school teacher in Auckland. (Check out her new blog here http://nzbusybee.blogspot.com.)  She sent me the link to Larissa's blog "mmmcrafts" and the tutorial for these these  cute 'momma bird' cards that she did with her class for Mothers Day. Aren't they gorgeous:)  And Larissa has even kindly made a pdf with the

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-91858578650305219202011-06-20T21:05:00.000+12:002011-06-20T21:05:18.893+12:00

Something I've really enjoyed since starting my blog is taking part in swaps and also finding cool things online that you would never have found without reading other people's blogs! Today was a double bonus mail day as there were two packages in the letterbox. The first was my gorgeous brooch as part of the Flowerpress brooch swap from Kate, the very clever creative lady behind one of my

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-22419685811844266072011-06-19T15:04:00.002+12:002011-06-19T15:10:08.406+12:00

After making my bow brooch I'm just loving bows at the moment- here are a few things I've found that I thought I'd share with you...hope you're having a great weekend :) Bow hat from Cherish ChildSophie top from The WardrobeBow hair clip from Bell n WhistleBaby bow shoes from Lou's ShoesButtons from PurrsieNecklace from Foxes by Kute Kiwi Scarf from Foxes by Victoria n Bird Kate's shoes.... Megan

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-12893990437120137912011-06-16T09:04:00.003+12:002011-06-16T13:00:57.876+12:00

 a crochet appleBy Mixing Inka crocheted apple (not sure if that's grammatically correct!)Some times it's good to make something that's a bit frivolous but makes you smile...I made this apple cosy just for the fun of imagining my 4 year old's face when she opens her lunch box :) I tried a tutorial first but my cosy was looking more like a sombrero....so I just started again and played around with

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-52255576623237188082011-06-14T09:00:00.004+12:002011-06-14T10:14:36.372+12:00

After the events of yesterday, I'm sure these lovely bloggers would really love a visit... Nin from The Wardrobe Miriam from Make It Give It Deb from Works in Progress Maddie from Li'l Magoolie Juliet from Craft and NappiesFran from Frangipani Fay from Imagination Overload Emma from Freedom CreativeLou from Seaside Siblings (I'm not sure Lou lives in Christchurch now but do go visit her lovely

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-56175019615686022082011-06-12T11:46:00.001+12:002011-06-12T11:47:13.058+12:00

It's been a bit of a rainy weekend here - good weather to get a few crafty projects finished including my brooch for the Flowerpress brooch swap. My swap partner is a really amazing crafter so I spent quite a bit of time thinking about what type of brooch to create. In the end after changing my mind a lot I decided to make a fabric bow brooch after seeing the bow hairclip I won from Amber and

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-76901389723280413152011-06-09T10:44:00.003+12:002011-06-09T12:31:57.695+12:00

I finally got my hands on a copy of the book "Scandinavian Stitches" by Kajsa Wikman, from our local library. I've seen this book on lots of blogs and it is just gorgeous with heaps of cute projects, my favourite being the little houses.  I was even lucky enough to receive a house from Leonie as part of the kiwi christmas ornament swap which is now on my notice board in my craft space. So I made

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-73031944032715620402011-06-06T12:53:00.000+12:002011-06-06T12:53:09.102+12:00

Here's an easy and economical recipe that I'm loving for these wintry nights - great for the dishes too as you can do the whole meal in one pot. And even a non-cook like me can just about manage this one! Serves 2 adults + kids 4-6 Pork sausages 1 tin Cannellini beans 1 tin Canned tomatoes 1 clove garlic 1 onion 3-4 sage leaves 1. Brown sausages in large pot, remove and set aside (high heat) 2.

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-65388514088850629262011-06-02T08:15:00.001+12:002011-06-02T08:16:24.884+12:00

Some more busy book pages for your perusal...made before I had Jack in case you are thinking "how has she got time to make these??!!"The cute Red Riding Hood fabric on the left from Stitchbird fabrics was the inspiration for me to create these pages.  I'd seen some other busy book pages that had a 'weaving' page so first off I thought of making a basket weaving page to go with the Red Riding Hood

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-30613844132655407192011-06-01T13:47:00.002+12:002011-06-01T15:48:07.639+12:00

Hello all, hope you are having a great week.  I made up some homemade baby bath wash this morning from Wendyl Nissen's recipe. I already had the glycerol (it's the same as glycerin) from when I used it to make some homemade bubble mixture and I had the rose water from making Wendyl's pillowspray but you can get both from the chemist. I bought the rose soap from the Trade Aid shop (you use about

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-89374115320287578122011-05-30T07:08:00.002+12:002011-05-30T10:33:45.016+12:00

I've been meaning to share one of my favourite children's authors- British author Michael Morpurgo- for a while now. I discovered his wonderful books when I was teaching in the UK- I was really surprised to learn how many books he had written and that, as an avid reader growing up, I had never came across any of his books before. When I came back from the UK to NZ I read about seven of his books

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-24011243784143113142011-05-19T08:11:00.006+12:002011-09-28T20:59:25.914+13:00

I made my first little baby blanket/playmat this week for Jack- he needed one as we only had one blanket that wasn't pink! I've been wanting to make a little quilt for ages after seeing this gorgeous one made by Joanna at Little Minx from this great tutorial from Cat Taylor.  I made my blanket smaller though so I could use it in the capsule or buggy or as a little playmat. For the patchwork top I

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-80822037698548308542011-05-15T13:59:00.001+12:002011-05-15T14:04:50.527+12:00

I decided to have a go at making some play dough after using some Cream of Tartar to make Wendyl Nissen's peppermint paste the other week (the recipe is on the Cream of Tartar container). I haven't made playdough before as whenever I've used homemade playdough it seems really dry and crumbly and doesn't seem to last long. This recipe has me converted though- the playdough is so soft and it has

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-37124833728787547292011-05-11T10:50:00.000+12:002011-05-11T10:50:35.655+12:00

Thank you for all the comments for my Mothers Day giveaway and a big congratulations to Alisa for winning the treats. I hope you all had a lovely Mothers Day. I had a good day - my first as a mama of 3 :) Things are going well with Jack- he's a bit like our second baby Stella at the moment, pretty good for most of the day now (and sleeping in his bassinet finally!)  but much happier in our arms

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-47022801744351906022011-05-09T11:02:00.000+12:002011-05-09T11:02:58.714+12:00

I haven't been doing much crafting lately (funny that!) but I thought I'd share a few colourful crafty things that other clever people have made that have made their way into my home lately. I bought this beautiful mobile in the Lil Magoolie Christchurch quake appeal auctions. It was kindly donated by Baby Jives- check out more of her amazing creations here or here.Stella loves elephants so I

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-11834354069133452702011-05-06T14:54:00.001+12:002011-05-06T15:06:12.498+12:00

boy toysboy fabricsboy clothesthis little boy ♥ linking up to Paisley Jade's 'Things I'm loving' FridaysHave a great weekend :)Megan x

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-66224005954551994952011-05-03T14:43:00.002+12:002011-05-03T20:42:13.944+12:00

Hello all, well I've survived the first two weeks of life with a newborn (yay!) and seeing as it's Mothers Day on Sunday here in NZ I thought I'd have a little Mothers Day giveaway to celebrate.  I've made up a little pack of treats...a mousehouse waterproof make-up purse, lavender sachet and a lip balm, and some Fair Trade tea and chocolate...us mums deserve some treats don't we :)  To enter

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com50tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-14765906109213496372011-04-29T11:25:00.000+12:002011-04-29T11:25:43.769+12:00

...on the couch with Jackwatching this...and maybe making another one of these- my latest crafting addiction...a crochet baby ball with a little bell inside. I made a few of these in the days leading up to Jack's birth from another great tutorial from  Kate here. I put my rusty maths brain on and played around with the pattern to make a bigger ball- I'm thinking they will make a neat little baby

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-11313216290814131472011-04-26T07:17:00.000+12:002011-04-26T07:17:38.045+12:00

Some baby news finally! Baby Jack was born last Tuesday- still can't believe I have a baby boy :) He was 12 days overdue but the labour/birth ended up being pretty quick after all the waiting! I had a drug- free birth which was an 'interesting' experience after having epidurals for my first two babies, glad I had it with my third and not my first!! Feeding is going well but Jack has not been too

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com49tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-14301586511469589092011-04-17T20:02:00.002+12:002011-04-17T20:22:38.826+12:00

Well you thought you'd seen the last of me for a while but no I am still sans baby and instead have spent most of the weekend making things to take my mind off still being sans baby!  I saw this decoupage egg project in the latest issue of Woman's Day magazine this week so we made them today. Well, Amelie started making them with me but sticking all the little bits of paper on the eggs proved a

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-89983591996956476522011-04-15T16:00:00.001+12:002011-04-16T08:35:29.872+12:00

...so I'm having a go at these... to take my mind off the waiting game...my first time actually following a crochet pattern (other than granny squares) so I was quite surprised to actually see an egg shape form! Thanks for a fab tutorial Kate :)Megan x

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-67226093614291078182011-04-13T17:17:00.006+12:002011-04-13T17:28:06.439+12:00

Well, I'm 6 days overdue now so I'm treating myself to a few of Wendyl's Green Goddess  beauty recipes instead of cleaning ones now - it's soooo much fun making your own beauty products (and it helps to take my mind off the waiting and wondering game!)  I decided to have a go at making the lip balm recipe first the other day (the recipe is on Wendyls' website here). I bought some of the

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-51411100110732722692011-04-11T08:49:00.001+12:002011-04-11T09:02:15.257+12:00

I saw these pom pom easter chicks a few years ago in an issue of Littlies magazine. I searched on their website for the tutorial (they have heaps of great tutorials here) but couldn't find it so here's a quick pom pom tutorial if you're keen to make an easter chick or two for your little ones, or a crafty easter activity to do in the school holidays for older children.1. Draw a big circle with a

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-756604710726247622011-04-07T08:17:00.000+12:002011-04-07T08:17:39.621+12:00

It was so neat to read all the lovely comments about the first few pages of my busy book the other week, thank you! I've finished a couple more pages so here are some pics.  Both of these pages were inspired by some fabric I already had- a lovely flower corduroy and a babushka print. I've seen lots of examples of the 'button on flower' page on other busy books- such a great idea for little hands

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-81576208578096529492011-04-04T15:12:00.000+12:002011-04-04T15:12:53.118+12:00

  I made up a few more cleaners from Wendyl Nissen's recipes in the weekend- her gorgeous peppermint paste and some lavender laundry powder.  The recipes for these two products aren't on her website yet but I checked with her and she said it was fine to share them here, thanks Wendyl :)The peppermint paste recipe was made up as a green equivalent to a cleaning paste for baths and sinks-a Jif

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-69276296450181085092011-04-03T09:22:00.001+12:002011-04-03T16:30:00.560+12:00

I finally made it into an op-shop I've been wanting to visit for ages now. It's on the way to my midwife appointments and there always seems to be a lot of cool stuff in the windows when I drive past. And I wasn't disappointed- there were heaps of great things in there! A little mug for morning tea "milky milo's (50c) A cute bunny/chick kaleidoscope for an easter treat (20c)A little glass bowl

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-14790768685736007822011-04-01T08:40:00.000+13:002011-04-01T08:40:15.405+13:00

The art gallery here in Tauranga has a great exhibition on at the moment "Lynley Dodd- A Retrospective" so we took the girls along in the weekend to see it.   Lynley Dodd's books are very popular in our house so it was really neat to see some of her original drawings and drafts of her stories. They even had a couple of ipads there with the Hairy MacLary app which the kids were loving. (How cool

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-65025240348466704392011-03-30T20:36:00.000+13:002011-03-30T20:36:55.890+13:00

If you are getting right into some eco-friendly ideas for your family then take a look at these- I think they are really neat.  My lovely friends' shop "Cherish Child" in Mt Maunganui has started stocking these awesome reusable bags, "Lunchskins",  to replace the plastic zip lock bags used for snacks, sandwiches and storing little things. They were featured in Oprah's 'O' magazine and one of the

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-45357042515198030052011-03-29T08:46:00.003+13:002011-03-29T20:28:02.683+13:00

We made some dishwasher powder in the weekend and seeing all the dishes come out sparkling clean from the dishwasher had me and Amelie very excited that it worked! I used this recipe from the Bin Inn website as I already had all the ingredients except for the citric acid which I got from the supermarket. I've used the powder three times now and it has worked really well each time.  Eco-friendly

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-64020989718975001082011-03-27T21:23:00.001+13:002011-09-28T21:00:13.682+13:00

I received an email the other day from Sarah at Bakers Delight to ask if I wanted to try some of their new hot cross buns and promote their 'Bundraiser ' Day on Saturday 9th April. So my little taste testers and I went along to Bakers Delight here in Tauranga to collect some traditional, fruitless, choc chip and mocha buns....can you guess which ones the girls wanted to try....yep, choc chip

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-8029798329007031612011-03-25T06:32:00.001+13:002011-03-25T06:37:19.065+13:00

I should start this post with a warning....this is a crafty project that is very addictive and can end up consuming quite a lot of your thoughts and time! I've been wanting to make a fabric 'busy book' (they're also called 'quiet books') for ages now and decided to get going and make one for Stella's birthday. She is, like a lot of 2 year olds, obsessed with clips so I thought she'd love a book

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-21271398964564776192011-03-23T13:36:00.005+13:002011-03-23T14:17:32.876+13:00

I came across this poster the other day when I was de-cluttering the spare room- it's a poem I bought when we were living in the UK.  I saw it on the tube one day when they were displaying "European Poems on the Underground" in the carriages. I really like it- it's a very peaceful poem don't you think? It's by Greek poet, Yiannis Ritsos. And a big thank you to Lyndy from one of my favourite blogs

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-29059740862938224422011-03-18T15:06:00.006+13:002011-03-24T15:52:35.997+13:00

Hello all, I hope you've had a good week. This week's challenge is more of a cleaning one than an organising one but it's definitely one that makes the house feel really good! After reading 'A Home Companion' by Wendyl Nissen I've been thinking a lot about having a more eco-friendly and healthy home so I got stuck in this week to making some home-made cleaners. I really enjoyed making them - it

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-11534900281789211072011-03-17T09:01:00.001+13:002011-03-17T10:36:31.782+13:00

I came across this idea on this lovely blog last year and have been wanting to make our own family one for ages. I've made it as a little art work for the baby's room so when he/she is born I can add their little handprint too! It was pretty quick to do- I drew around each of our hands on card and then cut out each outline, then I traced around each hand on the fabric using a water/fade marker

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-10791206331921075142011-03-15T11:16:00.000+13:002011-03-15T11:16:45.197+13:00

Some lovely mail was waiting in the letterbox today... ...this gorgeous book 'Bubbles Before Bed', by Mandy Sutcliffe, the very talented creator of Belle and Boo. I ordered it for Amelie's birthday next month and can't wait to give it to her. It's a lovely story book about bath and bed time, with adorable activities to make and do throughout the book.  I love Belle and Boo :)I hope you are all

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-74860901031329080632011-03-13T20:47:00.002+13:002011-03-13T20:49:48.449+13:00

Hello all, thank you so much for all the lovely feedback about my patchwork chair on Friday- it was so nice to read all the comments!  I've had a nice relaxing weekend starting with a crafty morning with two friends and ending with a bit of time at a local park late this afternoon.Last week I went thrift shopping for the first time in ages - I really enjoy reading "Flea Market Finds" on Sophie's

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-13568640657348527002011-03-10T08:49:00.000+13:002011-03-10T08:49:49.427+13:00

I've had this chair that I bought off Trade Me sitting in our garage since we moved into our house three years ago. We used to live in a 1930's bungalow which I decorated in a bit of a shabby chic/Cath Kidston style so this chair looked great in our hallway with some fabric from Kate Fitzpatrick. But it didn't really suit the house we live in now, plus there wasn't really anywhere to put it, so

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-450204735571167532011-03-08T18:17:00.002+13:002011-03-09T11:17:41.400+13:00

Well, I have finally got my civil defence kits done! Now that I'm into my last month of pregnancy (yay!) I've got to say my energy levels have dropped a lot and I am taking a lot longer to do things than I normally would!  We have had heaps on lately and I had a wedding in the weekend to video and make DVD's for- all finished today thank goodness! Anyway, I've had civil defence stuff all over the

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-84385218083299138402011-03-03T08:20:00.005+13:002011-09-28T21:01:52.309+13:00

I saw this lovely old book at my mother in law's in the weekend- a gorgeous version of the classic Little Red Riding Hood story. Amelie loves reading it and dressing up as red riding hood- I bought her a basket from the Salvation Army store and she even made me dress up as the wolf with some brown fur fabric I bought last year to make baby blankets- funny what you get up to in a day sometimes!I

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-32250705147356178322011-03-01T10:58:00.000+13:002011-03-01T10:58:48.754+13:00

Hello all, I'm sorry things have been a bit quiet here this past week. After the terrible earthquake in Christchurch last week I decided my 'organised home' wardrobe project could take a bit of a back seat for a bit. Instead I was inspired by Cat and Sarah and I've been busy sewing some purses, toilet bags and a few other things for the Red Cross earthquake appeal. I've made some purses for my

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-43632690437009158142011-02-23T14:51:00.000+13:002011-02-23T14:51:08.554+13:00

I've read this picture book to nearly all of the classes I've taught in over the years- a child's account of the catastrophic Napier earthquake back in 1931. It's hard to believe that the earthquake in Christchurch is going to be as devastating if not more so. My heart goes out to the families that have lost loved ones and everyone in Christchurch. Already there are a few ways to help- Leonie

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-54450035183827369942011-02-21T16:01:00.001+13:002011-09-28T21:03:05.149+13:00

One of my favourite mid afternoon treats- a banana, passionfruit, frozen berry and milk smoothie- especially good now that Amelie can prepare most of it which she loves doing and I just whizz it up! Amelie had a friend over to play this morning- this can sometimes be quite 'interesting' as Amelie is really strong willed and pretty highly strung if you know what I mean! She managed to last about 5

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-38699566734702807732011-02-18T11:51:00.002+13:002011-02-18T11:54:08.231+13:00

Well, this week's challenge has been much more successful than last weeks! The nursery is coming along nicely and I've managed to get a few things done in preparation for baby number three. It used to be our spare room but now it's all painted and we've moved the furniture around and I've unpacked most of the baby things. At the moment the room is looking quite plain as I am going to wait to see

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-35036364256054372512011-02-17T09:02:00.002+13:002011-02-17T09:07:56.032+13:00

One of my favourite magazines is NZ 'Your Home and Garden magazine' and I especially love the back page with it's "Four Ways With..." crafty ideas. Here's this months theme... I decided last night to give the cute rabbit project a go. I used a soft fleece for the front of the rabbit and fabric for the back. Mine ended up with much skinnier ears, arms and legs than the one in the mag! I made the

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-47381039903601811312011-02-15T13:08:00.001+13:002011-02-15T16:44:41.201+13:00

I am loving these colours at the moment so thought I'd share a few pics with you. Some of the fabrics I'm loving for some new curtains in our loungea few cushion covers I've made lately books in the loungeA kid -free breakfast at Tay St cafe in the Mount this morning (I think it's only the 2nd time we have done that in nearly 4 years!!!)and a bump shot (31 weeks!)Thanks for visiting, hope you are

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-29853500887483515562011-02-13T22:17:00.001+13:002011-02-13T22:23:52.476+13:00

A lovely little package arrived from the UK in the weekend- this gorgeous embroidered pocket mirror that I won in a recent giveaway from Jenny Arnott. She makes the most gorgeous embroidered products and has the sweetest blog.  Thank you so much Jenny!Thanks also to everyone with their commiserations and advice re backing up photo's, I really appreciated all the tips! I have finally ordered all

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-26232066322607142522011-02-11T11:09:00.000+13:002011-02-11T11:09:36.555+13:00

Well, have I been on a mission this week or what....I have decluttered my iphoto albums as well as decluttering my hundreds of bookmarks, files, stickies, itunes music and basically everything else on my computer....decluttered to zero. Yep, my computer's hard drive ironically decided to choose this week- the week I was finally going to print and sort out out all my photo's from last year- to

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-17524297387215303862011-02-10T21:23:00.000+13:002011-02-10T21:23:02.945+13:00

Hello all, I've been a bit quiet on the computer this week but just thought I'd share a few things I've found online tonight with a bit of a love theme, seeing as Valentines Day is just around the corner....Naomi Murrell flock screen printYou can also find Naomi Murrell products at Small AcornsHeart shaped tealights from Rose in Thorns Print from Dear Colleen Love heart chalkboard garden stakes

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-65377157145258824602011-02-04T07:26:00.001+13:002011-02-04T08:30:38.440+13:00

Hello all, I hope you've had a great week. The kids toys was a project a lot of you wrote as being one of the main things you wanted to get organised and I was definitely one of them too! I am so not complaining about having lots of toys- we are very lucky that our children have so many to play with and also get given lovely toys by friends and family.  But the good thing is that having a bit of

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078414002337966400.post-75247006611848804702011-02-03T11:01:00.000+13:002011-02-03T11:01:34.015+13:00

This post should really be called "why I shouldn't start sewing late at night". I was having a relaxing evening after a hectic day but then did my usual thing of coming alive about 8:30pm and deciding to do some crafting. My organising challenge this week is the kids toys so I thought it would be good to make up a few puzzle bags to keep puzzle pieces in and also keep little things like Barbie

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09837365666448298169noreply@blogger.com16