A Leave of Absence

I need to stop and catch my breath and catch up on a whole heap of stuff that needs to get done!

Its been a busy time, what with getting The Princess organised and settled into big school. Thanks for all the lovely and comforting comments , she took to school like a duck to water. As so many of you mentioned it is often harder for the Mummy's. Oh yes!!! And yes, it is her school uniform, check out the Barbie back pack though!


Yesterday we had to say goodbye to my brother Phillip, his partner Nic and my sweet niece Georgia Mary, who we got to meet and fall in love with. I can see a visit to Cairns, Australia on the cards later this year.


As a little consolation prize I did a little thrifting. LOOK! Gorgeous Italian pottery, vintage perfume bottles and vintage laces and trims. Happy, happy me!


Now, I am going to take a little bloggy break, for about three weeks. I'll lurk around behind the scenes but won't post and probably won't comment on your blogs.

Reason is I have to get myself organised and get stuff done. This is a half completed swap and there are two others I have signed up for and also to make a card for Karla's Aunty, attend a Swashbucklers party and goodness knows what else!


I HAVE to get these yukky tax things and accounts for the shop done, like yesterday!


Clean out the closets, this one is The Princess's, all the others look similar!


Do the ironing I started three weeks ago and just keep adding to. This is what greets people when they enter our home at the moment. Nice, NOT!!!


And then there's the little matter of our garage, I think some people keep cars in theirs, Babes would like to keep a car in there! As you can see I keep other things in my garage, furniture, vintage carpet, vintage stuff, craft stuff, junk . . .


Aside from these little issues I also need to sell stuff, make money . . .

So, I will be back and when I do I'll post the after photo's to show you my new clutter free, completely up to date house and life!!!!

Until then

Bye . . .

Sweet Peas & a Good Catch Up!

Mum had been sorting through her glory box (hope chest) when she came across a whole lot of stuff she had forgotten about. Scrapbooks and water colour paintings done by her Mother, my beautiful Granny.

Among the treasures was this beautiful water colour of sweet peas in a vase done by Granny many years ago. She was an accomplished artist in many different mediums. I love this painting so Mum gave it to me.


Granny passed away in January of 2007 and in the March, this darling Sweet Pea arrived. She is the first child of my brother Phillip and his partner Nicole. They named her Georgia Mary, such special names as our Dad who passed away over 20 years ago was Peter George and Granny was Mary Stella.

Phill, Nic and The Sweet Pea are over from Cairns, Australia on a visit. The Sweet Pea is just gorgeous, naturally! Here she is surrounded by her big cousin The Princess's, many toys!


Both Babes grandparents are home from hospital so life is a little less busy. I managed to do the tiniest bit of thrifting and came home with a sewing basket to add to my collection, love the hand painted rose on the top of this one.


Remember these baskets to hold your hair curlers in??? My Mum had one!!! Found this one complete with the hair curlers! Nasty prickly things!!!


Over the last few months I have been given lovely awards and have been tagged a few times. I am really sorry about not doing the tags, I love them, I was going to do them all in one go and I have now forgotten what they were about!!!

This gorgeous glitter award was passed on to me by the creator of the award, the oh so talented Barb at 123 Lavender Lane and also the very amusing Brittany at Adeline's Shabby Cottage. GORGEOUS!

I am really sorry but I can't remember who gave me the next two sweet awards. Possibly Jen.
How bad am I!



I award these awards to all of you who read my blog. Please feel free to copy the images and pass them on.

I need to get creating again so have joined a couple of swaps that are inspiring me to get to work.

First of all the Celebrate Banner Swap being hosted by Tamy at GA GA for Garlands. My swap partner is Susan at Creative Destination. I'm a bit nervous because Susan is VERY talented and attends workshops!!!

I was lucky enough to get into the Enchanted Swap hosted by the Gypsy Mermaid. Very exciting and something different!

I am also, if I don't forget, going to join Lori at Faerie Window's Doll Challenge on April 8. It will be lots of fun, I love dolls.


So until then, take care, have fun . . .

Sweet Treats Galore

I participated in Karla and Beths Sweet Treats Recipe Swap for Valentines Day. You made a Valentines Recipe card, copied it 42 times (the number of swap participants) and sent it off to Karla and Beth who sent you back a completed recipe book with the 42 different recipes.

You also made a tag and in return got a tag back.

My recipe book arrived on Valentines Day. Perfect timing! My Mum was here when I opened the parcel and we were both completely overwhelmed. As my Mum said "these books are heirlooms".

Each recipe was thoughtfully chosen by the participants and beautifully decorated.

Karla and Beth spent hours and hours making the recipe book covers using their precious supplies of vintage wallpapers, millinary flowers, lace, embellishments, hand painting etc.

They also spent hours and hours assembling the books for us.

From what I have seen, Karla and Beth also cleverly matched the recipe book covers to suit the each of us. Mine is made using all the things I love, vintage wallpaper, millinary flowers, vintage image, crowns, jewellery and a gorgeous velvet vintage rose.

I think my tag was made by Beth, again vintage wallpaper, roses and lace and sparkley rick rack.

Heartful thanks to all of you for your beautiful recipes and especially Karla and Beth for this fabulous and generous swap.

Along with my recipe book came the giveaway I won from Karla in December. I cried when I opened it. It is a caricature painted by Karla of my beautiful fairy Princess. Karla is so talented, she captured my Princess perfectly, especially around her eyes. I am looking out for a very special frame for this.

Thank you so much Karla, this is something I will always treasure.

Karla and Beth are hosting another party/swap, the "Bling Your Birdhouse Day" or "What do you love about your Birdies Home?". These parties/swaps are so much fun, click on the link to check out the details.

We have a very sweet treat coming up on the 2nd of March. We are travelling to and staying here. Babes has to go to Fiji to work for 5 days and his company are paying for The Princess and I to go with him. We come back on the 7 of March, the day before The Princess's 5th birthday.

Heaven on a stick!

Paper Dress Swaps & Shop Window

Mum and I did a little mini paper doll dress swap with Karen and Catiean. Both girls dresses arrived within days of each other.

Here's what Karen sent, look at this gorgeous card she made, its so elegantly vintage.

Inside the card was the sweetest dress she made for me. Its so dainty and delicately made. Pink gingham trimmed with contrasting pink ribbon and clear rhinestones. Shabby, shabby chic!

Thank you so much Karen, I love the card and the dress. I hope yours turns up soon!

Two days later this parcel arrived from Catiean. Hmmmmm, bit large for a paper doll dress or even two we thought!

This is what spilled out when I hurriedly ripped into the parcel!


Catie!!!! Mum and I are blown away by your generosity. Love it all and eventually we did find the dresses amongst the goodies!

Packets of earrings and necklaces that I am thinking we can break down for crafting as they are perfectly sparkly! and rose gift bags that I have whipped away to the shop to use for lucky customers! and rose patterned fabric samples and Snow White scrap booking bitties that The Princess took an instant liking to! and finally we found the dolls dresses.

Beautifully made with vintage paper and lace and embellished with sparkly jewels. Mine is pink and Mum's is green. Clever, kind and generous Catie. Thank You! Your dresses should be arriving any day.


I finally got the new shop window done. Halloween themed. It was a bit challenging because the shop is actually pink and rose themed and Halloween decorating isn't normally something we do in NZ.

Anyway, I came up with this. Am pretty happy with the result, have a couple more things to add tomorrow.

I am going to try and make Jack O Lantern's. I have yet to see an orange pumpkin in our green grocer shops and all I see on the blogs of you American girls are fields of them, farms of them actually.

Guess I will have to paint them orange!

I didn't go too overboard with what I made, just tussy mussies and a couple of banners, to test the water, so to speak!

I'm off to bed, its raining so I have my electric blanket on high (Babe's will have a fit!) and a good book waiting - Good Night - xo

Sunday at the Beach, Craftiness, Ribbons & Lace and Carpet

Yesterday (Sunday), Babes and I decided to take The Princess to the beach. She was sooooooo excited, spent ages packing bags (four) with bucket and spade, bathers, towel, change of costume, her doll Melanie, Blankie and Pillow and off we went.

We went to Maraetai (Maori translation is meeting place by the sea) which is only a 15 minute drive from our home. The Princess fell asleep on the way. By the time we got there it had started raining and for the entire two hours we were out the rain got heavier and heavier!

But not to worry, you can still eat ice cream cones in the rain. The Princess had a scoop and half of Strawberry on the bottom (because its pink!) and Gold Rush on the top. Daddy and I had Gold Rush, yummy, yummy, yellow creamy flavoured ice cream with huge chocolate, crunch filled balls spread through it. Just what a girl in my detox, health kick, condition needed!!!!

Creativity is running high in our home at the moment. The Princess and Nana made felt yesterday.

And the day before, Nana had given The Princess some craft goodies to play with and to our astonishment she made this butterfly all by herself and didn't let on until she had finished it! I was so proud, I mean she is only four years old.

Mum and I have finished the paper doll dresses for our mini swap with Karen and Catiean and also the Paper Doll Dress Swap I kindly signed us up for! We are also working on our Artful Christmas swap goodies.

I have been doing a little light shopping on Trade Me. Look what came the other day. Lovely vintage music magazine and all these fabulous vintage ribbons and laces.

Among some of my addictions/fetishes is vintage carpet. It is my personal belief a girl can never have too much vintage carpet. I like to buy it in house lots. Babes and I then cut it up resell what I don't keep for my personal collection. Trouble is I hate reselling it! Would much rather keep it, but we do make good money from it.

I have just lost out on this, I was prepared to pay up to $120 for it. I had to place my bid and then walk away from the computer otherwise I would have kept on bidding. It has just sold for $138. But that's OK because it was only two rooms and I normally buy better than that!

All is not lost because I have this in my sights!!! So much prettier anyway!

Off now to do a little more foofing for Karla's Romantic Country Party tomorrow. Trouble is I am a vintage shop owner and when I originally opened the first shop last November, I used mostly pretties from my home as start up stock! But I do have some pretty corners left for my favourite, never part with, treasures.

See you tomorrow at Karla's!

Vintage Kitchen Swap, Cats and The Shop

One of the many swaps I signed up for in the short time I have been 'blogging' was the Vintage Kitchen Swap hosted by Garb-oodles Soup. My partner was Barb at 123 lavender lollipop lane. Barb and I exchanged information about our kitchens and our likes etc.

Last week my parcel arrived from Barb. It's so exciting getting a parcel from overseas and not knowing what's in it.






When Barb and I exchanged information, I told her I love roses, pink, vintage linen and that my kitchen is blue.

She sent me the most beautiful and thoughtful collection of kitchen items imaginable, all in a perfect shabby chic theme of vintage blue, pink and roses.

Mum and I and the girl cats sat on the floor and as each tissued wrapped package was revealed we would ooooh and aaaah!

Barb sent me:

• a vintage baking tray that she had painted herself and embellished with a paper doll


• pink and blue spring pegs that she had attached a magnet to the back of


• a dear little rose bud apron (Mum wore it at the shop opening party!)


• a pretty frilly rose food cover


• lace tray cloth with a pink rose


• white tray cloth with pink and blue embroidered roses


• blue hand towel trimmed by Barb with a frill and rosey material


• napkins trimmed by Barb with rosey material


• 2 blue pot mitts (how did she know mine were a disgrace)


• and darling pink china salt and pepper shakers in the shape of a rose which are too darling to be used for salt and pepper, they are going to sit on my desk.
  

I am so thrilled with my gifts from Barb that I can't bring myself to separate them and put them away! I like to sit and play with them!

Can you see Martha peeking out from the stool? She is one of Mum's cats. I like to give animals a middle name, The Princess chose Martha's middle name . . . its Barbie!

Coco, my black girl is sitting on top of the box the parcels came in. Her middle name is Chanel because when she first came to live with us she was a very black, sleek and elegant girl. Something has happened because she is now a black and rotund girl!

If you want to see what I sent Barb go back a few postings and check out the photos.

We had the shop opening on Saturday, it was a huge success. I will do another post later today with all the photo's.

My Princess is at home with me as she as a Wry neck, very painful especially for a 4 year old. At the moment she is tucked up on the sofa beside me watching Dora Explorer.

Don't forget to leave a comment to enter my September draw for a rosey posey surprise!

Craftiness and Swaps

Well, its been busy, busy, here since Mum and I got back from the Road Trip. We have got into a nice evening routine where we get the Princess fed and bathed and dinner and dishes done in the quickest time possible so that we can sit down and get crafty!

Mum has been stitching Bullion Roses on to a white cotton petticoat which is part of the shop stock. It looks gorgeous. She has been watching in astonishment as I have been churning out things nightly with the help of my craft glue. Lots of tut tutting as glue is a no no in the Embroiderers Guild she belongs to!!!

I missed signing up for Speckled Hen's Paper Dress Garland Swap but thought they looked fun to do so over the last few nights I have whipped up these little pretties. Today I am going to buy the ribbon and little pegs to attach them to.

Mum found it all too hard to resist so last night found her with glue bottle in hand! Will show and tell hers later when she has finished them!

I also finished covering this lamp shade I have been working on. Really happy with how it turned out even though it is one of my more subtle ones! I normally use far more embellishments on them but sometimes less is more!

And, while all this has been going on I have finished the Art Doll I was doing for my swap partner Jerusalem. A while back I read that Jerusalem loves the Princess and the Pea story so I used that theme for my art doll. I used all my favorite Robyn Pandolph fabrics in layers with vintage trims and ribbons to represent the mattress's on the bed. Then made an overskirt with paisley fabric, gave her a veil, glittered up her head dress and added some beads to her necklace and bracelet and the final touch, a green rhinestone at the bottom of her skirt to represent the pea. Voila!

If I had more time I would make a lovely box for her to lie in but I would like Jerusalem to get it this year!

Have almost completed the Vintage Kitchen Swap I am also part of.

Mum and I have signed up for a 12 Days of Christmas Swap hosted by Holly over at Art Seeds. This looks like another fun one, we have already planned what we are going to make!

Oh, and I have the keys to the new shop, EXCITING!!! Start painting this weekend . . .

Show and Tell . . .

I have got so much to share today and loads of pics!

Anyway, first up is the shop, I have now emptied it, stashed it into our house as you are about to see and started organising for the new shop.

I have gone from this . . .

To this . . . WARNING - SCARY PHOTO'S COMING UP . . .

and this which is supposed to be our 'Grown Up' room . . .

and this, somewhere in there is the almost completed goodies I am doing for Natasha, my Cup Cake Swap goodies partner . . .

but there is light at the end of the tunnel because we are going to this mid August . . .

I can't wait . . . and neither can Babes who is find the overcrowding at home a little stressful!

Yesterday I went to buy some bubble wrap to finish packing the shop, got a bit carried away and came home with all of this . . .

Craft roses and flowers, a plastic tray to glitter on, heaps of craft ribbon, new water colour paints and best of all 3 sheets of Victorian styled die cut scraps. They were so cheap, only $3.99 each. I bought the only 3 left.

They are so gorgeous!

The other night while I was waiting for something to dry that I was working on for part of the Cup Cake Swap I am doing for my partner Natasha, I made some bookmarks . . .

and last but not least, my parcel from Natasha arrived for the Cupcake Swap. I am showing the most incredible will power by not opening it. You see I haven't finished Natasha's yet so I until I have it posted I am not going to let myself open hers!

But I have had a wee poke and prod at it . . .