the dream in progress...

So what's been happening lately?

Besides growing my bub (due in 2 days!!) have been slowly building some ideas and stock to take on selling some crafts either at local markets, online or at a new local craft/artist co-op store that is getting up and running (very exciting!!). 

The plan is to use my collection of vintage fabrics and op shopped crafty finds to create individual homewares made from completely recycled materials - bunting, cushions, quilts/rugs.... oh its so exciting!

Here's some of my bunting I made for pre-baby celebrations... and as practice before making some to sell...

 

 Welcome to the start of my 'Naisy Days' range...

No definite plans for where my wares will appear yet, but will get past the first months of motherhood and then hopefully find what will work for me.

Have some cushion ideas I'll share with you later this week! Oh the joy of sewing and creating. Nothing like it. :)

nesting

Our first bub is on its way!

My first trimester was hideous with  nausea and fatigue so I'm in action mode during my second trimester to be set for the worst when third trimester starts in a few weeks time!

I've had such fun delving into my op shop stashes getting creative and making our bub's room a place I'd love to hang out in at any time of the day!  Finished off a few things today and wanted to share it with you all...

Op-shopped embroidery frames and vintage sheet fabrics:

Op-shopped wooden photo frames; a cute pic from an old Frankie mag and a 'Father's love letter' from God to a child:

Op-shopped alphabet blocks, wooden pins and golden books. Love this old crate I got from my mum:

Op-shopped brown cut-out detailed cushion - it needed some love and care to be sew down again but for 50c I love the texture and interest it gives to the room; old cushion which I'd got bored of, but the blue back face of it is perfect for this room. And a rolled cane chair I've had for about 9yrs and my husband wanted to get rid of but I knew it would have a perfect spot one day.  Can sit here and stare out the window at the trees and weather rolling in. A lovely cosy corner.

Some of my favourite little creatures I've found at op-shops.  There is just so much more interest and warmth in oldstyle toys I reckon.

And the cot quilt/play mat in progress! Gender is unknown so I'm sticking to blues and greens mostly. Loving creating my own patterns for different projects and being inspired by the materials I have on hand.

Can't wait to introduce our little bundle me new favourite room in the house!

sew summer

Christmas in my family this year had the theme of recycled, second hand or hand made.  So for my sister and mum I challenged myself to projects that required me to step up my sewing skills

I have conquered continuous bias binding, piping and zips! Oh it feels so good. 

We have a new european cushion cover for my sister's couches... my first attempt was but through quality control test by her 2yr old... fail.  I'm learning! Time and practice will improve the quality of my work I'm promising myself!

A cot quilt for my mum who has now kitted her home out for when her 'grandies' take over when visiting!  My projects are all from recycled fabrics.  This quilt used vintage hankies, sheets, doily and scrap material from the op shops.  Love the individuality and one-off preciousness it gives my projects.

And then a little New Years present for myself.  Some summer cotton cushions.  Just need some more piping to finish off the others for my new lounge collection.  My hubby is a texture phob - so there are a few cushions I have collected over the years that he relegates to being foot cushions as he can't stand the feeling on his skin.  We have success with this one. It's his new favourite!

They all have their lovingly individual imperfections. :)  Looking forward to practicing more so I can look at selling creations in the future! That day will come... when my sewing skills catch up to my dreams!

my second wedding...

If I had the chance to have another wedding, I would just as easily choose this one as I would my original own.

Our friends Brendo and Jess married on December 3, 2011. A wedding in the park, riverside in our beachside town and a reception at a nearby organic tea-tree and vegie farm set next to a serene water scene with amazing birdlife and horses wandering by in the background.. A wonderful atmosphere with family and friends for a couple truely in love.  The vintage and personal touches that they placed around their ceremony and reception venue were so lovely and all of my favourite things.  Jess is a girl after my own heart!

Hydrangeas and garden flowers,  old chairs from our church for the signing (which I envy every time I see them and think they'd look so inviting in a corner of my home!) doilies her girlfriends and grandmas collected (and made!), herb and vegie pots for the guests, dress-up and photo booth, my favourite - the guest libs and instead of a signature book or board they had a fingerprint tree to remember the guests at their wedding. There were even more touches that I missed capturing but oh it was such a lovely evening you wanted to sit back and enjoy it rather then miss it by being caught up behind the camera.

As I'd say to anyone getting married soon or in the future, a lot of effort is involved but it is so special to make the day your own, a day that speaks of your relationship, interests and things you want to share and remember - and it is all worth it.  Weddings have become more special to me as I reminisce at every one I attend, since my own, of the specialness of our day and what my marriage means to me everyday since. It is the start of a beautiful, yes challenging, but always rewarding journey.

Blessings to you both, Brendo and Jess.

hello sadie

it seems i have a sadie house wife theme for this months brisbane suitcase rummage!!

yep... hear that johnny farhnem classic singing in your head now!!

have been collecting aprons, pot holders and oven mits to take up to brissy on the weekend.
here's some of my favourites....

and while we're on our sadie pieces around the house wanted to show you a favourite apron of my own...

this comes from a great aunty of my hubby. its still starched and looking fabulous. i can't bring myself to wear it while cooking as i never want to ruin it! love it so much.

i've come to wearing aprons while cooking and sewing lately. am loving feeling like a 1950s housewife. i'm coming round to thinking i would have loved to live in that era! but being home by choice, not because i have no other option available to me.  i've studied, worked. and now i'm ready to play house, build a big vegie garden and sew from home. i'm taking one day at a time stepping towards that dream! bring on hubby finishing uni!

wishing you some happy moments around your home this week. blessings, nais.

grace in casino

no, not a day gambling but a unique op shop experience at a nearby town, casino nsw.

a lifeline store next to where i've been working is one of my regular haunts.  was in there and found a new table runner (see below) which is one of my most fav finds ever as i just love butterflies and don't often find tasteful butterfly pieces to match my home.... however that is not the story... back to it... was admiring the doilys looking for something cute and quality to add to mum's collection.  a lovely lady came up and spoke to me... her name was grace... she offered for me to come out the back and look through their boxes!! of other doilys and handiwork.  its always feels like sweet forbidden territory entering into the back room of an op shop... such a buzz... feels like you'll get an even earlier peek at amazing finds before they make it to the shelves and other hunting eyes.

she slowly unrolled... yes she stores the 'something special' ones on plasitc and paper rolls... she is the one that takes them home, soaks them for stain removal, starches and irons them... and still sells them at great prices. such care is taken.  as we went through 3 boxes (i had to get going by that stage!!) she, and gradually another 3 ladies helping in the shop that day gathered round, described the techniques and errors of the doily creators' ways.  'oh this one has been knitted and then crocheted'... 'oh dear, they've ruined that one by using too many stiches on the edging'... 'oh i remember that pattern'... i was surrounded by a lovely group of old ducks who were capable of all my needlework and sewing dreams!

despite my subtle hints that i would love to learn from such skilled ladies, it took till i was almost finished my transaction and out the door for grace to offer to teach me.  she then shared that she has 12 grand-daughters and none of them have an interest or appreciation of the skills of their generation. i think she was stoked to see a young person take the time to share this joy with her. 

while i was in there, i was thinking how much of a buzz my mum would get having this experience.  grace offered to have my mum come to the back room and delve through the boxes herself when she visits. she introduced me to the manager, told me her volunteer schedule and such was my day. 

i picked out a couple that i thought mum might like. but the real buzz was being able to show an interest and share the appreciation for the hours of work that went into these delicate creations.

thank you casino lifeline and st vinnies for my few finds from that day...

and most of all, thank you grace.

'oopsie daisy'

you know how when you're travelling through a town you hardly ever visit... you might be travelling to visit someone... or like me today just out for a drive to escape a dreary day in the house...

and a little voice in your head says to you... 'you can't possibly not stop at that op-shop... you don't know when you'll be here again and who knows what amazing finds will be lost in there forever. it is up to you to discover them!'

well that voice spoke loud in my head today.  and 'oopsie daisy'... op shopped today with only 6 days to go of my free living challenge!

and when i have an 'oopsie daisy' moment i do it well...

my favourite scores being....pretty much got a whole new collection of dinner plates and side plates, 2 dresses to alter, a wollen jumper destined to become my favourite, vintage doona, more soup bowls to add to my collection for sunday soup nights with friends and a tan document wallet - been looking for one of these for months!

oh dear. might have to hand the eftpos card back to hubby i think!  still got the buzz from all these finds hours later. i'm glad there are other vintage bargin lovers out there like you who know this feeling and also have those days where we have to justify some impulse buys to ourselves.

i am a faulty human being. imperfect with poor discipline. but oh today was so exciting!!

free living challenge - day 8&7... home days

goal... to abstain from spending hobbies - to focus on finding daily joy in no cost living.

today's joy...

was family dinner and nan & pa's.  the familiarity of family. the weekly ice-cream brand debate... the rare sharing of past memories from nan & pa's upbringing... such a lovely evening sitting round the kitchen table just sharing life. so good to be able to do this every week.

bit of a dreary weekend down my way.  indoor adventures were the order of the day.

my other joyous moments came from...

a spontaneous decision friday night to have a garage sale over the weekend while school holidayers were in town. the good old cardboard signs worked a treat! what a great feeling to sit back at the end of the day and have the bonus of a slightly emptier, clearer house and a few more dollars back in the wallet. i'm getting a lot  better of letting go of things and being realistic about what we need in the house.

these little guys kept me company... smarties were the treat of the morning...

we won't comment on the stereotypical gender status of these characters.... funny that my hubby is going to be a teacher and we had a female ambulance office stop by the garage sale. :)

did decide to keep a couple of things from my market boxes to grace my shelves...

got my rummage cases out starting to get ready for the may brissy suitcase rummage. took way to much stuff last time. decided next month's cases will be filled vintage sheet squares and clothing only. kiss. oh i find it hard letting go of some cute sheets! but i do oh so enjoy sharing the love with other crafters.

with only one more week to go of this challenge i am stoked and excited.  i miss my op shop adventures and think the goal of finding a better balance of my shopping hobbies and finding some free adventures through my week will be a natural progression after these free living days. 

how's this for timing... forget the wallet, this could be my reward!! there is a vintage market being held in a community hall down the road over the easter long weekend! i might limit myself to one dress or skirt to practice the self discipline and balance i aim to keep for my future. :)

free living challenge - day 35... home of homes

goal... to abstain from spending hobbies - to focus on finding daily joy in no cost living.

today's joy...

was enjoying my parents garden in a misty toowoomba morning.

growing up in this house from the time i was about 13... my sister and i helped with renovations, painting, gardening... i have such fond memories of coming home from school, sitting on the back steps and chatting to mum and dad as they gardened.  a piece of my heart will always be with this house.  have taken some pics to share with you of some of my favourite corners of this home of mine...

and my most favourite corner of all to visit... my brother beau... the son my dad never had...

home is where the heart is. and visiting my folks and my old puppy dog gave a lift to my heart that nothing else can.  hope you can visit those places that fill your heart sometime soon. blessings.