Tag! You're it!

I've been wanting to try this luggage tag tutorial for awhile now, so this afternoon decided to give it a go. Here are the results - I'm quite happy with them, but it did take me a few attempts to figure out the best way to sew the plastic with my sewing machine! These tags are destined for a market I'm hoping to do next month, but I plan to make some more for the shop soon. 

The little red luggage case is a recent purchase from my Sydney trip - I was so excited when I found it in the Whisk and Pin store (though I'm sure I've seen them in Melbourne somewhere also) - it is just perfect for stashing all my loose sewing bits and pieces and is a great photography prop too!

I could write about luggage tags and cute cases all day. But I won't. Instead I will think about doing the dishes I've been avoiding all day. Or getting dinner ready. Or tidying up the disaster that is our dining room table. Not as fun though, but unfortunately necessary. Have a great evening everyone!

Out and about

In my local neighbourhood of Bentleigh this morning:

About to enter the Amitie patchwork shop...

And afterwards...

1. New fabrics from Amitie (I can never leave empty handed)!

2. Cute cherry tomatoes from the fruit and vege market a bit further up the road.

Time to put those fabrics to good use I think! 

It's arrived!

Four yards of Echino scooter fabric plus some Amy Butler lotus. Purchased from fabricworm on Etsy. I know what I'll be doing this weekend...

A fear conquered (and french toast)

I've done it! I've conquered my fear of zippers and have been busily sewing up these cute little pencil cases all day.

And to celebrate - I made myself french toast with pear, blueberries and maple syrup for lunch - yum! Let's just hope I can burn off all those calories at tonight's yoga class...

Shop Update

Just a quickie tonight - the new 'Let's Play' notebooks are now available in my shop, along with a couple of other journals and my first pencil case!

Goodnight zzzzzzzzzzzz

Let's Play!

New journals! Made today while singing and sewing to the Dirty Dancing soundtrack.

There are a few variations to this journal - all will be available in my shop soon (awaiting better photography conditons). 

And I forgot to mention...

image from tatty devine

I am totally in love with this pencil brooch from English jewellery designers Tatty Devine. Can I justify spending almost $100 on a brooch? Hm maybe not...but it is handmade. 

It comes as a necklace too - so cute! Melbourne gals can find these at the lovely Genki store in the city. But hands off the brooch, unless there is someone who is willing to enter into some kind of brooch-share arrangement?

Today I...

... baked these yummy cupcakes, which were quickly devoured this morning by some friends. All except one that is, which was crushed up into small cupcake crumbs by a little friend (I think he managed to get some of the frosting into his mouth first though).

... bought these gorgeous timber chairs for our dining room table. I had planned to buy all mismatched chairs and paint them a shiny red, but the timber of these is so lovely and is a perfect match to our oak table so they may stay like this I think (less work for me as they are already sanded and oiled!).

... found out that the lovely little house we rent is going to be put up for sale. We are trying to stay positive and are hoping the new owners will be happy to keep us on. I've moved every 12 months or so over the past 6 years and the thought of moving again is already giving me a headache.

... have just heard a big crack of thunder and saw a flash of lightening - I love a thunderstorm!

And in true Melbourne style - the sun is now shining but it is pouring rain. Ah I love Melbourne and its crazy weather! 

Scooter Love - Part 2

image from fabricworm

I've just ordered some of the new Echino scooter fabric and am already busily planning what it will be turned into - notebooks, pencil cases, and I think some library bags! 

This and other great fabric can be purchased from fabricworm on Etsy. Beep! Beep!

When too much chocolate is not a good thing

originally uploaded by coolmitch

Why is it that as soon as you decide to start exercising and eat better - which includes not buying any more chocolate to have in the house due to lack of will power and the ability to eat an entire block of Lindt in one sitting - that the world decides to fill your life with free chocolate. Yes, free - and lots of it as well. In the past 2 days our household has received:

• 2 huge boxes of after dinner chocolates FREE from Nescafe (80 chocolates in total!)
• a block of Lindt 85% cocoa FREE from a family member
• a new fruit and nut Toblerone they were handing out FREE at the shopping centre I work in

Of course, I should have just refused the chocolate. But that would be rude wouldn't it?

Scooter love

Found while searching for the new Echino scooter fabric on Etsy:

1. Scooter clutch from the peach

2. Scooter print from good bloom 

3. Vroom folded note card set from inkspot workshop

4. Scooter bag from retrofied

Thank you sukie

I just wanted to share a quick story about great customer service this morning, which I find is becoming a rare thing these days. This is my favourite diary in the whole world, by Sukie from the UK. I love it because it has a diary section at the front which is undated, so you can start using it whenever you like throughout the year. It also has cute stickers and other cool stuff but that is getting away from the point of this story : ) So anyhow, I was filling out my dates for the remainder of the year when I ran out of diary space in mid November! Counting back, I realised my Agenda only had 45 weeks in it, not the 53 it is meant to. How was I going to cope until the end of the year? I wrote Sukie a short email to let them know what had happened. Within 24 hours they had contacted me and have put a new Agenda in the mail. I was so impressed by their quick and friendly service - so thank you Sukie!   

Sydney snapshots

We're back! Here are just a few snaps from our adventure:

1. Planning the Day, 2. Tarts @ Silo Bakery, Canberra, 3. Vintage Typewriter @ Doug Up On Bourke, 4. Apples @ Fratelli Fresh, Waterloo, 5. Red Roadster, 6. Vintage Wares @ David Met Nicole, Surrey Hills, 7. Ribbon Spools @ Papier D'Amour, Double Bay, 8.Sydney Tower, 9. Hmm Dessert!, 10. In Our Footsteps, 11. Late Lunch, Rutherglen Victoria, 12. Whisk & Pin, Blue Mountains, 13. Duck Diving, Rutherglen Victoria, 14. Hello Cocky!, 15. Dessert @ Lindt Cafe, Sydney, 16. Hours of Fun @ David Met Nicole

There will be more stories to come during the week (I would love to tell you now but I have a huge pile of laundry awaiting me!). In the meantime, you can see more photo's over at My Flickr. 

The nation's capital

Only 2 days in to our road trip and already a story to tell. Yesterday we spent the night in Canberra on our way to Sydney. After a day sight-seeing (all the regular capital city tourist spots) we were driving back to our hotel. Up ahead we saw some flashing police lights. As we got closer, we saw even more police lights, and lots and lots of police tape, closing off a couple of streets. Then we saw the forensics van. By now I was getting a little bit creeped out. Two seconds later my boyfriend announces ‘Here we are!’ as we pull in to our hotel, which I then realise is only one street over from the taped off area. Wondering what is going on we head up to our room, passing 2 federal police as we go! Minutes later they knock on our door and want to get a statement from us. Apparently there had been a ‘suspicious’ death across the street last night and they wanted to know if we had seen anything. We felt very important but alas could not give them any information.

Part 2: Yesterday after dinner we drove back past the taped off street - it was all lit up with flood lights and we could see a few suspicious plastic bags on the ground (though not big enough for anything too disturbing thankfully). And that was my first, and probably last, experience of Canberra.