A Phoebe Smock for Matilda

This is one of my faves...the 'Phoebe Smock'. I especially love the little sleeves.  I fell instantly in love with the colour palette and of course it's a paisley print.  I made this one for Matilda to wear on Mothers' Day.  I photographed it with the pearls because I know she loves to hold them between her chubby little fingers and when your not looking pop them in her mouth.  When Matilda's not all dressed up for the special occasion she can wear the smock over a pair of denims.  The phoebe smock is available on Madeit in sizes 00, 0, 1 and 2.

Explorations of the inner west of Sydney

The sailor is getting a little antsy these days, we are boatless which is not good for him, but for me, an opportunity to explore the creative and cultural community that lured me to the inner west of Sydney.   Most of the inner west has an industrial edge lending itself to great warehouse type spaces and heritage buildings that house interesting small businesses and markets.  I would love to share some of my favourite inner west places and spaces with you and hopefully lure you over to have a peek.


Last Saturday, a brilliant Sydney morning I was up early singing and making lots of noise so the sailor would emerge downstairs...


The plan....Breakfast at the Pyrmont Growers Market.  The market is open 1st Saturday of the month from 7am until 11am so you have to get up early.  Situated in Pyrmont Bay Park opposite Star City and you can take you four legged friends.  On this occasion I decided not to take the crazy poodles.


Can't resist a clear blue sky, sparkly water and the quintessential Sydney ferry

Ha!  the sailor thought the apples were actually growing on the tree

No other words than deliciously dribbly and yummy for the bacon and egg rolls

My shopping list went like this

Keis Kitchen salad and noodle sauces are so good you don't have to leave home

Coulsons totally organic and preserve free cordials and preserves

Single Origin coffee.  Love one right now!

Hydrangeas, my favourite

And here is me and behind me is our friends' boat coming to pick us and the goodies up. A  quiet harbour bay, brilliant sunshine with lots moreish things to eat.  Hmmm I hope they have the wine.

A bit of a yarn

No Mondayitis this week.  For Peta's first Mother's Day I bought her and I  a 'How to Crochet' class at Calico and Ivy. I thought this was such a mum and daughter thing to do.  I didn't let on to the sailor how excited I was, I was gagging to get there,  soak up the gorgeous environment at Calico and Ivy and get that yarn around my pinky and chain and treble to my hearts content.  My heart wanted to sing!


I yearn to create fabulously vintage inspired cushions...

 soft and colourful vintage style throws

a lovely morning with equally eager crafty gals sitting around having a yarn over our crochet and a cuppa.

One hexagon complete, and a stash of Debbie Bliss cashmerio wool...drool worthy

Two hexagons down and only sixty two more to complete the funky vintage cushion.......Next week I will blog the pattern.

And the winner is....

Well done 'Team Incahoots'  We did it!


The sailor and I were over the moon last night we picked up four trophies for our outstanding performance in the Grant Thornton Short Ocean Race Point score.


I think this is the first time I have blogged about the sailor.  He really wanted me to include him somewhere and he found his big chance. 
Last night carrying his trophies to the car, he put his really nice voice on and asked me


" When you go up there to blogland  


(he means my room at the back of the house, yes the pokey, unrenovated room with the yucky fan light but with the lovely view from the window with the even yuckier curtainy thing I have never bothered to remove)


could you blog about tonight"


"You mean the bowls with the live fish swimming around in them, used as table centrepieces, then served fish as a main course" I replied 


"No, the trophies" the sailor groaned.


Ha! I laughed to myself, and thought rufty tufty men are all boys at heart.

I think I was in heaven

If you have the slightest interest in fabric and textiles, knitting, crocheting and crafting and you have not visited the new Calico and Ivy shop in Balmain you had better go, go now.   It is drop dead gorgeous.  Oh I sighed as Peta and I pulled up to the curb, there it is, number 10.  I love it, I love this, a gorgeous shop in a blue boathouse in the beautiful tree lined,  Birchgrove Road.
I could not wait to be inside, the vibrant colours luring me in.  I didn't even wait to help get Rowan out of the car.  I had to go in.......A visual treat awaited, a kaleidoscope of colourful fabrics and yarns all stylishly displayed in and around vintage style furniture.

An imaginative space..  boat shed. How Sydney

I have come to buy two things and I want to leave with only two things, one being a metre of defusing paper to applique a cushion cover and the second a piece of vintage style kitchenny fabric to cover the lids of my cumquart jam bottles.  Stay focused and eyes to the front....

bendy wire wrapped with sweet liberty print 

I see the very boucny, bubbly and energetic Amy the author of Amy Badskirt.  This description of Amy I copied from her profile, she also admits that she is very short.  Well Amy you are a gorgeous little a pocket rocket, talented fun and inspiring.  Can you please help me find a piece of fabric for my kumquat jam jars.  Amy gives me the raised eyebrows
"Ah, what is a cumquart"?
"Ha! you don't know a cumquart, all too funny, just think small mandarin"
Whilst Amy dashed from one fabric collection to the next choosing fat quarters........I had moved onto the yarns dreaming of crochet cushions, granny squares, cozy rugs for Rowan.....

Jenny Hunt designed crochet cushion cover...love

I could live here

Beautiful Liberty of London's Tana Lawn

 

Thank you Calico and Ivy, I have made new friends.  See you again on Monday for the crochet lessons I signed up for.....I just had to sign up to make that fabulous cushion with Jenny Hunt.

My Thoughts for Mother's Day

Out and about today a friend asked me how I was planning to spend mother's day.  Hmmmmm

Lunch

 

A Picnic

What will I wear?

What will I carry?

What would I love to receive?.......Flowers of course!

1. Picture, Pinterest. 2. Folding chair and throw, Anthropologie. 3. French tumbler and cutlery, my own. 4. Cardigan, Sambag 5. Leopard scarf, my own. 6. Boots, Sambag. 7. Orchid Print, Sweet William. 8. Flowers, Pinterest

When Mum went back to work

Today my mum went back to work to teach in her old class room but with different children and I am going to stay with Nana at my big house.  


So we wave mum off to school and as her car heads up the road and turns out of site I am expecting a text message, last minute reminders...... I am confident that Peta will have a great day back at school and Rowan and I will do nanna things, promise not to spoil him too much.


I purchased a cute book note book when I visited the Rozelle Markets from Retro Star Designs, these well made notebooks are made from Little Golden Books,  taken apart, good quality white pages are added and cleverly rebound with a sturdy spiral spine, they are also available on Madeit.  
I plan to use the journal to jot down little things that Rowan does during his days with me.   

Hey! is that you Rowan, riding up front

Lot's of things to talk about..and the places we will go, and who we'll meet along the way.

Today it was cloudy and cold we rugged up for a walk to the park and when we came home I took lots of pictures of Rowan wearing funny hats I have been crocheting.

Rowan had a sleep (not for very long) and then I read him a story and then another one.

Rowan's library is cleverly made using Ikea spice racks as the shelves, and the best feature, you can keep adding to it.
The spice racks are $2.49 each and they hold up to eight children's books.