end of year ramble

wow well who new that 2009 would be so huge
and that 2010 looks so good

oh and that today is new years eve (yes i was a day out so thought it was tomorrow - lol)

our house is looking FABULOUS
we had christmas lunch (sandwiches, soft drink/juice/ginger beer and tiny teddies) on the deck - took theo's high chair as the deck is 4m off ground and there's no ballustrading yet.

we had christmas dinner with greg's parents and boxing day lunch with mine

the kids had a fabulous time - ally got a new pushbike - she's got good quite quickly; theo got a new little lawn mower that makes a clicking sound when he pushes it - he likes to wear greg's earmuffs whilst he does - great for shops, parks, inside and outside

and books - lots and lots of books

greg and i got each other a few little things - but the main gifts - to him a new socket set and a trapeze lesson with circa; and for me - 3 private riding lessons at the riverside equestrian centre in moggill. so very very cool!!!

the kids were completely spoiled by the rels and got some really wonderful gifts - handmade dolls clothes, a diy kaleidoscope and microscope, a whole bunch of smiggle goodies for ally

theo got a few thomas things, hotwheels cars and slide, a super truck amongst lots of other gifts

both sets of parents gave greg and i wonderful gifts for the new house - can't wait to move in and start enjoying them (''though the ladder is already over there)

alex has completely blossomed at her new school - her teacher miss blackburn is probably as close to the perfect teacher for alex that you can possibly get - and next year she has her again
alex is extremely intelligent, co-operative and liked which is fabulous. she will never be the most co-ordinated soul - can't have it all 'though - she's super duper smart.
alex enjoyed physie out of school hours - learning little dance routines and even enjoyed the competing bit - lol.

ok it's now midnight so happy new year all

what else did we accomplish
well our biggest barney ever - but we made up again
i joined a community choir and did some amazing performances - including the brookfield opera (part of the brisbane festival) and the lord mayor's corporate christmas party
it's such fun
theo and i spend so much time at lone pine koala sanctuary that he knows what order the animals are in and many of the staff know us
we went on 2 steam train rides this year - our train museum membership was really worth it
i've convinced greg to go back to ju jitsu - he's really enjoying it so i'm pleased

we're getting more exercise as a family - walks and bike rides mostly

i signed up with kaszazz and now have a stamp, paper and scrapbooking addiction

theo is talking well now, and loves to sing. he's a climber, a runner and a deconstruction expert

oh i think that will do
2010 - here's to a brilliant year
xox
karen

pad sale

girlybits.com.au

pad sale monday 28th december 9am - 9pm brisbane time

20% off - no code required.

check out the gorgeous fabrics and gift ideas too
xox
karen

our house thus far....

it's so cool

3 pods

one huge deck

and we've worked out where

to put the cubby house, sandpit and chook house

ooooh yay!!!!

girlybits.com.au opening 1st october 2009

yay my webstore is finally opening (in less than half an hour)

key strips are good for helping you find your keys in a big bag

snapped wristlet keyfobs are great for snapping around pram or trolley handles, structured carrier straps and onto handbag straps

i am auctioning

the stunning african babywearing pad you see here




OPENING SPECIAL - spend $100 or more at girlybits.com.au and get a 10% discount - enter the word opening in the code box - this offer is until monday the 5th at 12md brisbane time

hugs
karen

handmade expo stall

learnt a lot from this market

was very very windy so some of our ideas may not have worked (saw a lot of stands blown over across the day)

getting some great ideas from the girls on nappycino too

thanks so much to mandy, peta and shannon dropping by

and peta buying a fob from me - made my day!!!!

some pics for you

come see me

with a stall at thehandmadeexpo.blogger.com/ on saturday
i'll be selling pads, keyfobs, kids pants and cards

and at brisbanefestival.com.au - the stoneleigh opera at brookfield - i'm performing as part of the brookfield/red hill community choir

what a busy weekend!!!

house started today!!!

yay we have 12 posts in already - will post pics asap
SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

cardmaking et al

i have been having a hoot since becoming a kaszazz consultant

i've become addicted to stamping and other scrapbook type crafting

these are very early pieces - so i think pretty good for a newbie

i've done 2 scrap pages now too - i'll post those another time

xox

karen

lots of new stuff on ozebaby

stunning fabrics
more fobs
slipper grippers
hit the girly bits button on the right at ozebaby.com.au then click new products to cut down the number of items on your page

some stuff to sell

hi all
i have a huge bag of nappy boosters here - ranging from hemp, bamboo fleece, cotton and some may have velour - it's going to be a 3kg postpack - email me if you are interested - girlybits.clothpads@gmail.com - $15 posted

i also have some size 2 wool/cotton long sleeve body suits from target - they do have some small grease marks from the washing machine on them. are cream in colour so you could dye them i suppose - $5.50 post pack (ie. free for post) - i think there are 4 or 5 of them. again email me as above

thanks
karen

semi custom pads available now

at ozebaby now
bamboo velour tops with bamboo fleece soakers ready to join to your choice of print and proofing
approx 24cm long completed
price includes regular postage within australia

whoops

i missed the turn on button for the discount
so i'm repeating it tomorrow for you all
from 1pm-2pm code is twenty
at ozebaby

check out my new logo whilst you are there
xox
karen

another happy hour

at girly bits store ozebaby.com.au tomorrow 2nd of september 2009 from 1 pm brisbane time til 2pm brisbane time
discount code is twenty
enjoy
karen

fifteen percent off hour

from 1pm - 2pm today (via congo clock)
enter the code fifteen to receive 15% storewide at
http://www.ozebaby.com.au/store/17

any problems getting the code to work - checkout and i will adjust your order before you pay or email me at girlybits.clothpads@gmail.com and i will answer you this evening

thanks
karen

now that it's arrived

i was so pleased with the way i wrapped this swap with a piece of metro blue using only folding and a ribbon - leaving no selvages showing. i was pleased to make the card from scratch using my kaszazz consultant business kit - i'm also chuffed to know the recipient actually wanted the gift - well who wouldn't - it WAS after all the new KALEIDOSCOPE book by melly and me

xox

karen

the other new nurture nappies print

it's a pink and yellow explosion - i think it was called aurora borealis....

3 little guinea pigs

sleeping in a row

we have 3 gp's now - 2 boys (bought and chosen) and 1 girl (adopted) all 3 gorgeous

due to differences in guinea pig opinion we have 3 day enclosures and 3 night enclosures (who thought gp's would attack not only each other but also their owner - wearing a pair of leather motorbike gloves and bruise the palm of his hand mind you)

each has a piece of plumbing pipe - here they are in a row sleeping inside their tubes

front is chloe (we're hoping she's now expecting); next (right) is pom pom (he should be the daddy) and at the back is luther (the quintessential ATTACK guinea pig)

ah pets...

new pads from girly bits

the owls will be heading to nurture nappies soon

obama pads at my ozebaby store....

go on - try some today

quick promo

see this link for an exciting opportunity to win the new melly and me pattern book

http://www.nappycino.com.au/forum/promos-sales/68986-exciting-new-product-girly-bits-ozebaby-store.html#post753002

workshop pictures

here's me on the way to the workshop - looking all normal ..... me ... dumb enough to go to a textile event with a known wool allergy and NO anti histamines - to the wonderful ATASDA lady who gave me one of hers i am forever in your debt - should i ever be able to repay you please let me know...

teacher and artist extraordinare - sharyn hall.... having never known i walk past some of her work regularly at the kenmore shops.... what a wonderful teacher, skilled artisan and sweet sweet woman !!!!

CHEEKY!!!! who me???? yes i was ready for sharyn's first demonstration and yes i was ready with a sharpie for her signature.... no points for guessing what 3 items will be framed and hung on the wall of the studio at the new house when it finally arrives!!!!!

my workspace - before i got going....

and some examples of MY work on the day during the workshop. we used vinyl, perspex, foam and stamps/rubbings with thickened procion dyes (and some paints NOT included in my pics) on natural fibres including cotton, silk and i added some hemp and bamboo to the mix - so if you nappy fabric girls get some new customers from outside the nappying world - well i gave a few stores names/websites out on the day.... so expect some bv buys real soon....

man did i have fun.... i'm thinking this may be MY outlet

xox

kaz

flooding

you may have heard how we recently had one years worth of rain in 2-3 days

so it flooded and ally had to stay away from school a couple of days - the water went across the road to the school's gate - we kept busy at home with her homework book and year one maths

(she's doing mostly year 2 at school - chronologically year 1)

anyway a picture taken on the way to school 2 days after the floods...

birthday cake - school version

this is the cake

sent to school for ally's 6th birthday

not bad for a newbie to cake writing.....

so exciting

i did the print paint and play course at the textile fair with sharyn hall
they are in the wash right now - after curing overnight
i'm so excited!!!!

off to join the group and belong to a group of women without concern about whether i'm in the in group and more about whether i'm interested in the subject - oh YES PLEASE!!!!

will post some pics asap
xox
karen

a brag post

my gorgeous kids at the lone pine koala sanctuary - checking out the rainbow lorikeets

we have an annual pass and head there about once per fortnight

nappies for theo

i've been making up some modified very baby nappies for theo

here's 6 of them - i'll try to add more as i take photos

the modification - i've made 3 layer bifolds - 2 hemp fleece 1 flannel which snap into the "shell" at the front - he's a boy and that's where it gets wet - so that's where i added the absorbency

cannes victory - so excited!!!

http://www.abc.net.au/atthemovies/txt/s2542612.htm

have had this fantastic film on my list since seeing margaret and david give it 5 stars each

samson and delilah

go see it!!! see how a magnificent film can be made without all the hooplah!

the bear is 6!!!!

wow it's amazing to us

our little girl is now 6

and she is beautiful - inside and out

let me tell you about yesterday - at playtime at school yesterday a little girl in ally's class lost the locket to her new diary... so ally asked her teacher if she could go back to the classroom for a pencil and paper - sure said her teacher what do you want it for.... this is what happened

alex got the pencil and paper, asked a little girl who usually plays by herself to help and then they went around asking the other kids have you seen the locket? they wrote down the names with a no beside them....

on monday she made up jokes to try to cheer up a boy in grade 7 who was crying about being on detention

every day she teaches her baby brother something new

happy birthday sweet girl - you make our life more beautiful every single day

love mummy and daddy

xox

p.s. how gorgeous is my husband????

and on a crafty note - i made her pants this morning whilst they had pancakes for breakfast - polar fleece!!!

a bear update

poor little allybear - she missed 3 weeks of last term with mycoplasma pneumonia and ross river - such a brave little possum 'though!

the rash was unbearable for the poor thing - it looked like massive welts which progressed further up her body each time the phenergan wore off - towards the end of it's cycle she was getting it on her neck and behind her ears!!! the pic is of her lower thigh the second day of the rash! she had x-rays and blood tests and was so very brave - i did put on emla cream so she didn't feel it, she watched the needle go in, the blood come out and didn't hear us talk to her she was so fascinated. the wonderful red cross volunteers made the knitted bear she was gifted - what a fabulous thing for them to do. she got a whole bag of stuff including stickers, colour in and a clean specimen jar full of jelly beans - makes for an interesting time at the docs when theo pulls out the specimen jars anticipating lolly goodness (ally gave him a white one!)

we did lots of puppet making to keep her creative side happy and as we had to stay home lots of kids tv, reading and gentle play in the yard - like the chalk drawing on cement in the pic;

i bought a bag sewing kit for her ages ago - rather than follow the instructions she decided to go her own way (ah her mother's daughter) and came up with a very cute result indeed - i stitched the buttons and handle on (using white buttons on the back)

i gave her a pile of buttons and asked her to sort them into groups then explain to me why she chose each group - it was enlightening have a look...

and lastly a couple of pics of the farm ally made out the back window - there were lots of other animals but these were just too cute to miss

brag over

very proud of these pics

i took these with a small fuji digital camera - it was my gift from greg when theo was born

i carry it with me almost everywhere - my only complaint is the batteries are always going flat (it takes AAAs)

anyway for the pics:

it had rained the day i took these - the cement was dry but the leaves all still had droplets of water on them - i spotted the snail first and headed out for a look; saw the leaves and took a few snaps and was pleasantly surprised at how wonderful these pics turned out

mindfulness really adds to your experience of life - google it!!

our trip to school

each day is scattered with stunning examples of eccentricity that make us all smile

here are 3 of our faves

the pig letterbox is made from an old bbq gas bottle - she was dressed up as a bilby over easter; we've been told she becomes a reindeer for christmas

the phone booth is in a horse paddock - the last turn before school - and i LOVE this - LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!! i think i'd probably love it even more if i was into dr who....

and last week we spotted the chicken letterbox almost opposite the phonebooth - pretty cool huh?

other kooky letterboxes on the way are an old microwave, a white bucket and a few stunningly decorated pink and floral ones

add to that the stunning bush, mountains, farms with goats, llama's, cows, pigs, and whole tonne of horses. it truly is a wonder start to the day

jealous yet???

quick one

i've finally succumbed to this years bug - so not feeling so great

but i had to get online to book my birthday present today
i'm doing a course at the textile art festival
will update with pics etc afterwards!!!

hugs
me

happy birthday

to my darling husband greg
you are 42 today
i hope it is truly wonderful for you
love always and forever
me
x0x

liners galore

check them out at both ozebaby and clothpadshop

http://www.ozebaby.com.au/store/17

http://au.clothpadshop.com/about.php?T=about_store&VS=14

thanks
karen

extreme sheepherding

i LOVE sheep herd trials

the way one man and a few dogs can round up a bunch of sheep is amazing to me

we go to the koala sanctuary in kenmore quite often (have season pass') should put a pic of theo here.....

it's a good way to wear him out before his mid-day nap - and it's really helping him overcome his fear of some animals (he still runs away from the goats as they are rather excitable when he has food for them.... and i personally blame the emu to begin with - after all it did try to take his biscuit out of his hand when theo was in the pram one time!!!)

anyhoo back to the reason for posting

check this out - pure brilliance!!! and the world needs to smile right now

xox

karen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqANtViviME

magazine available now

http://www.ozebaby.com.au/product.php?VP=16153&Preview=1&Reset_Sort_Order=1&Verify=d10775d2b57b6f7618a8657b36995521


better homes and gardens (US) bags, pillows and pincushions magazine - with patterns, instructions and photographs of 36 lovely projects - get ready for christmas now!

shorter version

ok thanks to those who took advantage of my poorly advertised pattern sale at ozebaby
i will run another one when the new portabello pixie patterns arrive

head over to http://clothpadshop.com/about.php?T=about_store&VS=14 for some marked down quality girly bits pads and some budget liners

if you live in brisbane please check out the inaugural brisbane comedy festival at the powerhouse museum http://www.brisbanepowerhouse.org/events/view/brisbane-comedy-festival

and also at ipswich - the great moscow circus - the opening is a bit dark and frightening for some young kids (both of mine were very disturbed by it); and you may need to reassure more literal children of the performers safety at times - but it was a truly wonderful and memorable family experience http://www.finda.com.au/events/great-moscow-circus/12152/

will post more in the coming week

so mad

i just did a HUGE post with links and all about our weekend
and google stuffed it!!!
oh no
must save from now on - will try again soon

a sewing/crafting update...

i participated in a pad swap - looks like i forgot to take a pic of the one i sent - it was hot pink BV with bamboo fleece soaker, PUL and bamboo/cotton butterfly print

here's the pad i received for my swap - purple flannel, hemp terry and cotton print - isn't it pretty?

another swap - i was assigned the gorgeous becci - see the apron on the 27th of december - the swap was notions based - so i made up the melly and me pattern "under the sea" for her to use as pincushions. i put the big fish top fin on backwards - looks a bit punkier - t'was a mistake but i think it looks ok. i also sent the pattern, some tie-dye cords and the fat quarters for the FQ swap (i got becci for both). enjoy becci - thanks for organising another wonderful swap

if you think this pattern is becoming my favourite then you are correct!!! i made this one up for one of ally's school friends - they gave us a bag full of georgia's grown out of shoes - this was my way of saying thankyou - the print's are kaffe fassett and i chose a plain bodice this time.

i got so many comments about ally's dress at a birthday party last month i'm going to make some up for my first market