Goodbye 2009 Hello 2010

1. Liam & Isabella, 2. Liam's First Day at Daycare, 3. Liam Swimming, 4. Drawing, 5. Easter, 6. Thomas the Tank Engine, January 2009, 7. Isabella's 4th Birthday, 8. Isabella Swimming, 9. Liam's 2nd Birthday, 10. Poppy, 11. Liam's first Wiggles concert, December 2009, 12. Christmas 2009

Goodbye 2009, If we're being honest then we're pretty happy to see you go. Too many close friends were touched by death and we came minutes away from loosing my dad. If 2010 could please be a bit less stressful that would be appreciated. We don't want to go to hospital for any other reason than to see new babies and a particular little much longed for bundle due in July that will bring some love into a family who have had a disastrous 2009.

2009 wasn't all bad of course, there were lots of highlights;

Liam started daycare
We visited Thomas the Tank Engine
We joined the PowerHouse Museum for the year and had great fun
Saw the Mermaids/Dugongs at Sydney Aquarium
Had the arrival of lovely babies
I joined the Handmade Helps team and helped in the release of the recipe book
I started knitting and learned to crochet
I opened my etsy and Madeit shops and sold things
My website design business got some fantastic new customers
Dean & I celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary
I visited Finders Keepers, Mathildas and Stitches & Craft Show
Took part in 2 Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Days
I turned 30
Isabella turned 4
Dean turned 34
Bella & I went to Melbourne
Liam turned 2
I was part of 2 fun swaps
Blogtoberfest
Lazy Days Skirt sew-a-long
Liam went to his first Wiggles concert
We went back to the Hunter Valley for a few days
Santa visited
We cooked alot
I sewed alot
I attempted knitting alot
Lots of friends and family received handmade gifts

I don't really make New Years resolutions, more like something to try and improve on for the next year. 2009 was about taking the kids for more adventures and I think I'm cheating and doing it again for 2010. Visit more places, try convince hubby to take us camping. It's Isabella's last year at home before she starts school in 2011 and I plan on making the most of it.

Handmade Christmas

This year I bought lots of Handmade presents for our friends and family. As well as getting beautiful unique gifts and supporting so many artists, I didn't have to go to the shops and did all this shopping in the comfy of my lounge :-) Bonus I say!

For hubby from us via YumYumBubblegum @ etsy

For the kids from Bianca's shop @ Madeit

Already been put to good use (note the missing yellow crayon and book in Bellas pack, little Miss took off with it while I was taking the photo)

Gorgeous gifts from a dear friend overseas as part of a swap we did. The little hanger is above my sewing machine and check out that little tree! Apparently she designed it herself and I think a pattern is in order please! You can get your own gorgeous wristlet from her shop, mine fits perfect and love the black. Thank you lovely lady, all my family was jealous while I was opening these handmade goodies on Christmas morning.

I sent her these to open on Christmas day. Scarf pattern is "Fourteen" @ Ravelry, Apple pincushion made from Craftapalooza's pattern, table runner from Sew Mama Sew's tutorial and the flower brooch I made up as I went along using some wool felt.

Bella got this gorgeous necklace from Deb's shop @ etsy (image from Deb's shop) from Santa and

also a lovely ring from Belinda/Tutti Frutti's shop (image from Tutti Frutti).

For Bella's little friend also from Deb's shop @ etsy (image from Deb's shop)

For the Grandmothers and me from MamaBethBling @ etsy

Table gifts I made for guests on Christmas Day

There was also a couple of heat packs for Dean's parents and a pair of matching PJ shorts for Liam and Dean.

And some last minute handmade shopping before Christmas...

ABC Panel from Aunty Cookie's shop @ etsy for a pillow for Bella

New wool felt from Winterwood

Merry Christmas

Before

The aftermath

Christmas 2009 has been done, fed, unwrapped and enjoyed. A full-packed fun day and each year as Isabella and Liam get older it becomes even more fun watching them take everything in. This year Dean's parents visited and we all stayed at my parents so they could have the most time possible with the kids and experience them opening their presents. (No they weren't subjected to a cruel wake up calls, all us adults had been up, fed and drinking cups of tea before the kids stumbled out just after 8am).

Leaving out biscotti and milk for Santa and carrots and a bowl of water for the Reindeer

We shouldn't have called it a Christmas "stocking"

I hope everyone had a fabulous holiday with family and friends.

Busy weekend

Shipping out more orders from my shops.

Catching up for our Christmas get-together with our Parents group. A fantastic group of people that we've now had in our lives for 5 Christmas'. The kids all get on so well and had a ball getting balloon animals, treasure hunt, trampolining, presents, BBQ and swimming.

More sales coming through from etsy leaving my shop pretty empty

And an interview with little 'ole me going up on PinkLizzy Sews

Pretty good weekend considering I've been sick for the last couple of days and slept most of Sunday afternoon.

It's begining to look a lot like Christmas...

On Christmas Day when everyone sits down to the table for lunch, we each get what we call our "table present". Something little for each of us to open together and this year for the girls, I put together these Cowboy Cookie Mix in a Jar.

Inside each jar is all the dry ingredients needed to make 18 cookies. When the recipent is ready to bake up their cookies, all they need to do is empty the jar into a bowl and add some butter or margarine, an egg and some vanilla. Then it gets mixed and rolled into balls to bake.

Just like every year, the guys will be getting their Terry's Chocolate Oranges. Goodness help whoever decided to NOT give them their Chocolate Oranges one year, it certainly won't be on my year to do the table presents!

If you want to make some for yourself, the recipe is here.

Tonight the kids and I started putting our Christmas decorations and tree up.

So I pulled out the tree and did the lights then set the kids crazy with the non-breakable ornaments while I put our precious ones up out of little fingers reach.

The only downside to having the tree up, everytime Liam sees the ornaments with Santa on them he sings Jingle Bells. Yes it was cute the first handful of times. After an hour Mummy was over hearing Jingle Bells. Especially when he only knows the first line.

The Advent Calender is a hit. Each day an ornament gets hung on the tree.

Custom Orders

I have a secret.

Making things for people that are not either married to me or I have given birth to still makes me queasy in the tummy. Will it be good enough, will they really like it? Yes I know they ordered it and paid me cold hard cash for it, but are they really sure that they want something I made? I can bribe the people who are reliant on me to keep them fed and watered into liking what I made, but total strangers???

So with two custom orders this week from total strangers via my shop, I've been doing happy dances albeit in a flu-brain induced state but still exciting. Let's hope they love what I've made them.

Four Curvy Clutches for a set of sisters for Christmas in the USA

and two sets of Custom Coasters for Christmas presants

Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day Winner... and Car Wraps in the shop

Wow what a response to my Sew Mama Sew Giveaway... and to think I wasn't going to partake this time. Everyone left such lovely and encouraging comments.

According to Mr Random the winner is ... abcgirl. I'll be emailing you for your address and which item you would like me to make for you shortly.

Thank you again to EVERYONE for commenting. 299 comments blew me away!

And as for those Car Wraps, they are now up in the shop. Available in two fabrics to start with and if they go well, I'll be making up some more. Perfect presents for the boys or even little girls like Bella who love playing with cars. Liam loves taking his in the car or the pram to play with.

Advent Calender

Last week, on the last day before the Christmas Advent begins I spotted this and fell in love. I love the idea of the kids slowly building a tree over December, watching different ornaments appear. Of course my brilliant last minute planning (11.30pm) meant that using nicely made felt ornaments would go out the window (maybe next year), so I decided to print off some paper ones, let the kids colour them in and we'd use them. So using some wool felt I have I came up with this...

I cut out 24 little squares and then 24 slightly larger squares. I downloaded and transferred the numbers from the template over at Purl Bee and hand embroidered each number onto the smaller squares (which took no where as long as I thought it would... thank goodness).

Each of the smaller squares were machine sewn onto the larger square around four sides and then then the larger square sewn around three sides onto the large piece of grey wool felt to form a pocket. I cut out a tree (triange) and base (square) and machine sewn onto the grey as well. Then the kids helped me pick out the 24 buttons to hand sew on the tree which we did together.

Finished on the first day of advent and the kids were very excited there was evidence Christmas is approaching.

Good mail

Lucky the man knocking wildly on the door this morning while we were all sleeping was holding a parcel of fabric I ordered otherwise he may have met an untimely demise. Nothing like new fabric to make you feel better after a night at the hospital with a sick little man. He's now happily snoozing on my bed watching his favourite movie.

From left: Echino Ni-co Scooter, Michael Miller Lil Cowpokes, School Days Blackboard, Jennifer Moore for Monaluna Mingle Summer Black/White Fabric and Robert Kaufman Chick a Dee Chick a Doo.

Other than the surfboard fabric which I bought locally, the rest came from Lucky Kaeru. Ordered on Monday and arrived this morning (Friday). How quick was that!

Most of the fabric is for summer shorts for my little man, while the three Chick a Dee Chick a Doo are going towards a skirt or dress for Bella.

Also arrived this week, two lovely new patterns from Ellyn. I love the hipster bag and was lucky enough to already have one from Ellyn as part of a swap we did. Now I can make some for family.

Don't forget to enter my Sew Mama Sew giveaway... You've got a couple more days to join up.

Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day

Note: Thanks everyone for your comments. This giveaway has now been drawn.

The Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day is back, and I've made a last minute decision to join in.

Top Left: Curvy Clutch - Top Right: In-the-Bag Organiser

Bottom Left: Custom Coaster - Bottom Right: Car Wrap (To be listed this week)

Up for grabs is your choice of one of the new goodies I have in my shop, and if you win I'll whip you up your own custom piece using your favourite colours.

All you need to do is leave me a comment between now and Midnight December 6th (AEST). I am happy to ship internationally. Make sure you leave me a way to contact you if you win.

Santa

There's no denying Christmas is approaching. The trees and lights are up at the Shopping Centres. Carols blare out from every corner. And the kids stalk Santa.

The poor guy who arrived 3 weeks ago gets yelled at from every direction by passing children. Someone smart sat him right by the entry/exit so every child gets to pass twice. The look on their faces as he waves hello is beautiful.

Everytime we pass, Bella screams out at the top of her lungs "My name is Isabella and this is my baby brother Liam. Could you please bring me a purple dolly and a little Mr The King." All without taking a breath and while I am ushering them past him. Twice a week. Both in and out of the centre. (That makes FOUR times the poor guy gets yelled at the same thing with arms flailing about madly so he sees her).

Yesterday they got their turn and both turned on the cheesy smiles and were so excited. He has been told that the biscuits and milk for him and carrots and water for the reindeer will be waiting in the same spot as last year.

Now If I can just find a little Mr The King and figure out which purple dolly she is talking about so I can let Santa know where to get them from.

In-the-Bag Organiser

Something else new for the shop listed here.

I've also decided to make up some of these car wraps to pop in the shop too since I've received so many lovely messages about them. Now to think up a name.

As well as listing things on etsy, I've been buying too. Christmas presents for the Grandmas from etsy. The one with the small tags and the kids initials is mine. All mine.

Felt Coasters

There are some new products coming to my shops this week and these make me super happy.

Customised felt coasters, one for each family member. Just pick the initials and the colour and I'll whip up these little beauties and pack them in a gift bag. Order before Christmas and I can even put them in a Christmas gift bag so you don't even have to wrap them.

Available here

This set are on their way to a friend as a thank you.