What are you doing tonight?

Tonight Mr. S and I are going to be playing Scrabble during Earth Hour.

I spent 3 hours making vegetarian lasange this afternoon.

Right now Mr. S hates me.

I've taken away his meat, force fed him 8 kinds of vegetables in one sitting and to finish it all off I'm banning the TV and making him spell. Gosh I'm horrible.

Holidays....suggestions peeeeer-lease!

I am on holidays.

I have been on holidays for 2.5 weeks now.

I have 2.5 weeks remaining.

I have not accomplished a freakin' thing.

(Not entirely true however it feels like I have not accomplished a freakin' thing)

I need ideas, suggestions, inspiration.

WHAT. CAN. I. DO.

I have limited funds.

Tomorrow I am going to Melbourne to spend time with my very pregnant sister-in-law and look after little Miss MGM while she goes to work on Friday.

Next week I shall return to meet with my bestie and we are going shopping.

I need more ideas people. Assistance peeeeer-lease!

I would prefer that destinations be around the Mebourne/Central Vic/Grampians region.

Bless.

Scary Sewing Attempt #1

This dear friends is fabric. Fat quarters to be precise.

I am using them to create a tiny pretty little blanket.

I took this photo 3 days ago just prior to throwing it all in the wash.

Since this time it has remained on the clothes horse.

I am not quite sure if it remains there out of fear, or just sheer laziness.

I can't sew...that well.

I have issues with high expectations.

Sewing means I have to be paitent.

I am not good at that either.

Once I tried to make a handbag.

I managed to sew the opening shut.

Five Faves

I am playing along with Pip and her new meme.

I have to be random and have no theme here....
Tomorrow some of these things may be off the list, with new ones on!

Creamy Coffee. Proper Coffee Shop Creamy Coffee.

This very sweet resin bangle from this Esty seller.

Bird wall decals.

I found this one here.

I love all things bird.

Friends.

On the weekend my bestest, most lovely friend came to stay.

We have been besties for over 10 years and lived together for 3.

She lives a little way away now and I miss her dreadfully.

She is the cutest little black girl you have ever seen.

Merideth Goats Cheese.

There is nothing better.

In salad, on toast, on a platter, on pizza, alone.

I love you.

Just some fast facts...

I'd like you to meet...

....my friends.
Connie and Kyla. Two lovely girls that live in Hepburn Springs.
I first met these two ladies when I moved to Daylesford in 2007.
They were warm, welcoming, kind, nurturing and full of fun.
We drank together, ate together, explored waterholes and dirt tracks together, sat on the porch of Portal 108 and smoked ciggies together (we have now all quit, yay for us!), played Scrabble together, sometimes we cried together too. It was nice.
They are nice people who have good values and kind hearts. They tell you the truth. They are real.

They introduced me to Mr. S.
Mr. S and I were both lonely and pathetic at the time. Kyla thought that we would be good together.
She was right.

Moral of the story? I have two really lovely friends who have a lovely shop and they have just started a lovely blog. I wanted to spread the love and point you all in the right direction. I also wanted to tell you a wee bit about their shop.
In their shop they like to stock quirky, unique, funky, handmade and independent wares.
If you make pretty things that you would like to sell I think you should contact them. They truely are wonderful.

Here is their website.
Here is Connie's new blog.

Go on....take a look...

Tonight I have been looking at random websites...I always love this one...

http://postsecret.blogspot.com/

This is tonights favourite pick...

This is a copied tweet from their Twitter:

'Today's Mail: "I regularly check the obituaries for the neighboring town, looking for my husband's former fiancee.'

Holy shit lady, you have some issues to deal with there! Don't pray too hard or anything will you?

Post Secret always makes me laugh and re-interates to me that I'm not a total FREAK!

This week brings a....New Kitchen!

My new kitchen has arrived.

It's stacked up in our dining room, nearly to the roof!

Tomorrow our regular 'Mr.Fix It, I Can Do Any Job Around The House Perfectly' is coming.

He is employed by the kitchen company however is really good at home renos.

He knocked out one of our walls and re-plastered it to make way for the new kitchen.

So now that all my kitchen accessories, utensils and pantry is spread from the lounge room to the dining room....I am here thinking what I need to buy to celebrate the new kitchen.

I love this website.

Home Couture.

When I moved from Bendigo to Daylesford I spent a huge amount of money on nice things from their website.

It was to celebrate living solo.

Not having to worry about buying something nice and having a housemates random friend take it to their other random friends BBQ and never seeing it again.

Or having a housemate move out in a huff and take stuff that wasn't theirs, only to find out 6 months later when making Breville pies and not being able to find the pie cutters! (Ruined my pie making experience, still trying to get over it!)

This is my current kitchen.

It is already kind of in pieces.

The brown cupboard has been ripped out and is just sitting there.

Last year we got a brand new, lovely ILVE oven and rangehood.

It is BRILLIANT. I truely love it.

Our last oven was the original and the thermostat had gone in it.

Made it very hard to cook with.

I really want one of these.

Oh how I love them...

I think I might buy it's friend first.

Just in time for winter soups and lovely warm things...

What is your favourite thing in the kitchen??

Another Marker's Market...

Picture taken from here...

Next weekend brings another Daylesford Maker's Market. I will be there with bells on!
My lovely mum will be there too to help me out. She is driving from NSW to spend the weekend. She is such a good mum!

The last market I attended I was by myself which can be a bit annoying when you want to go and have a sticky at the other pretty stalls.

I have been in a mad panic making things the last two weekends. I have new hairpins and magnets for this stall. They have been lots of fun to make. Tonight I plan to sit down and make some bracelets and necklaces. I have been really slack in the stringing department lately. I only have a few bracelets made. It's just not going to cut it!

I wonder who else will be attending this market? Are you going to be there?

I'm hearing you lady! (*Caution - Loose unladylike lips)

Firstly let me guide you to Steph's post over here. I loved this post. It hit home.

For the last couple of months I have been struggling with yukky old depression. Some days are good. Some days are so friggin' hideous I wish I never got myself out of bed. (Yes I can still get out of bed so clearly I'm not ready to end it all!) I do joke about it because it is not the first time I've been struck down with the nasty bugger and it certainly wont be the last. I've come to live with the fact that it's gonna come and go, just like the winter flu or a horrible sore throat, I just need to stay strong and know there is light at the end of the tunnel.

So while I'm all dark and gloomy I have been really focused on all the things that I hate about me...
I am moody.
I am a perfectionist at work and lazy at home.
I eat too much crap and bitch that I am fat.
Sometimes I have really poor boundaries and think I can save the world (or die trying).
I can be really selfish.
I dont pay Mr. S enough attention.
I have bad bad bad language. Very unlady like.
I love/trust too easily and often get hurt.

however...

I also have these lovely, good  and sweet qualities...

I am caring and full of love for others.
I always try my very best and keep the impact of my actions on others in mind. (not always a strength I'm telling you).
I am smart.
I can be crafty.
I am compassionate.
I believe we are life long learners and am always open to new experiences.

This year I am focused on self awareness and spiritual growth. No matter how hard it may be at times. I am far from perfect...and I am ok with that.

Hip Hop Happy Birf-day...

Saturday was my birthday.

I was spoilt.

Flowers.

Chocolates.

A wooden bicycle from lovehate.com.au

Gardening gloves.

Books.

Max Brenner chocolate, cup and saucer (thanks Mr. S for eating the chocolate and then asking what it was for!)

A framed picture of my grandparents on their wedding day (tears followed soon after opening this one).

Homemade cup cakes.

Caramel tarts.

An address book.

A handmade present from one of those people that just pop into your life without warning.

Oh my was I spoilt. I had all my birthday wishes comes true.

Local Craft Hero...watch out Donnatella...

I received an email from Allison over at Lark this evening.

She is looking for local makers to interview for Lost magazine which is a local tourist/event magazine.

I love Lost. It is a great little book filled with info about what is happening around the Daylesford/Hepburn Springs area.

Allison is looking for local crafters who have stalls at the Maker's Market.

You can imagine my excitement.

I ran around the house squealing a little (Ok a lot. There may have also been arms flapping and legs kicking). The cat ran away and Mr. S looked at me like I was a crazy woman. (I am a crazy woman).

I may have to delay the questionairre until after tomorrow nights Yoga class.

Tonight I am much too sleepy to think logically and public humiliation is not on my to do list at the moment.

To market, to market

I am off to the Market with this little angel. Hopefully she stays an angel while we are there...

New range...yipee!

For a while now I have been trialing a lot of different things for the Bottone range. (I talk like I'm friggin' Stella McCartney)

It is hard.

I have also come to the conclusion that I hate glue.

Especially glue that promises to stick to any surface and doesn't.

Liars.

So last night I went on a Ebay hunt to find new things I could make...with buttons.

I have found them. They are not new for the world of button craft or button jewellery, but they are new to me.

Hopefully next weekend brings a whole world of button making.

I have applied for the March and April Maker's Market here is Daylesford.

Hopefully I am successful...otherwise I'm gonna have a heap of new pretties with no one to show!

Stay tuned!

Community Appeal

Here are some photos from Dennis's last trip to Vietnam.

I have always wanted to spend 3 months volunteering in an orphange however

I think I would want to bring them all home.

It would be lovely if everyone could spread the word about this appeal.

Leonie from Raglan Guld has been an absolute super trooper. Check out her blog and all the great work she is doing to try and gather as many undies as she possibly can.

Thank-you so much Leonie.

On Monday I picked up a big box of goodies from Allison @ Lark.

I hear Dennis was quite overwhelmed by all the support.

This is a swing set that Dennis and his army friends built during the war.

It still remains at the orphange after nearly 40 years!

If you are interested in blogging, donating money or purchasing items for this appeal then please contact me so I can send you further information.

thereisabuttonmissing@hotmail.com

Leonie's Undie Run was a fantastic idea.

Maybe someone could have a baby singlet run....or a dummy run...

Dinner #1 'Sorta Shepard's Pie' by Martha Goes Green

(Image stolen from Google Images)

Tonight was the first night that I made something from Martha Goes Green.

I decided I would make 'Sorta Shepard's Pie'.

I'm not going to give the recipe away because I don't think that it fair for the authors of Martha....however I will tell you it has zuchinni and carrots and four bean mix and canned tomatoes and mushrooms!

Mr. S nearly cried when he found out it was the start of Veggie Week. (This man comes from a family of farmers, have I told you that? Cow and potato farmers. I'm marrying Mr. Meat and 3 Veg. I am Ms former Vegetarian, once Vegan. Ha!)

Anyway, the end result is that he liked it. Really liked it. So much so he said he would eat it again. Success!

Vietnamese Orphanage Community Appeal

I have sent the below information out to several local crafters however if you think you can help, please, spread the word about this wonderful cause.

Dennis Edwards spent time in Vietnam in the Army both in 1969/70 and 1972/73. During this time he and some of his team built swings, slides, slippery dips etc for children in orphanages. Since this time Dennis has gone back and continued to work and donate to several isolated orphanages throughout Vietnam. Some of the swing sets/slide were still there in 2007 when he returned to visit the orphanages that remained open.
Sadly Dennis has been diagnosed with brain cancer however he is planning to go back to Vietnam in April along with his four children with a shipping container filled with various items that are desperately in need. He believes that this will be his final journey before he becomes too ill to travel.

I work with Dennis's wife which is how I found out about this appeal. One of the things that she found astonishing is how much the children cherish their clothing. I know a lot of you have wonderful sewing and craft skills which enable you to make beautiful children's items.
There is a fundraising supper/dance being held in Lancefield costing $25 per head. What I am asking is if people are unable to attend the supper then maybe you could donate $25 worth of goods or handmade items the children could use/wear.

If you are interested in either promoting, attending the funraising dinner or donating some items please let me know via email. thereisabuttonmissing@hotmail.com

The cut off date is Saturday the 20th of March.

Dear Vera Wang...

Why do you have to have a starting price of US$6,100.

I like this dress. My shoulders aren't as boney and my boobs are so so much bigger than hers but I deserve a little slice of Vera Wang happiness don't I?

Martha Goes Green

I purchased this lovely cookbook from Lark this morning. It is fabulous. When I got home this was the conversation I had with Mr. S.

Me: Look, look, look! I got this lovely vegetarian cookbook (in a screatching voice)
Mr.S: Vegetaaaaaaaarian?! I don't eat vegetaaaaaaaaaarian! (whingy, small child in distress voice)
Me: Yes you do, you just don't know it.

No meat on the menu this week I'm sorry to say big man...

Here is the link to the Martha Goes Green website with a list of places you can buy in around Australia and Overseas. I think you can buy it online as well. Yay!

Naughty, Bad, Slack Blogger....right this way...

It has been a very very long time since I have blogged...October my dashboard thingy tells me. I should hang my head in shame.

Clearly not much has been happening in my craft world. I am still reading my favourite blogs each day. (Dear Pip Lincone, thanks for your lovely How To Crochet Lessons. I need them!)

Lots has been happening in our world outside of the craft scene.

Mr S and I got engaged in early December. Very exciting and quite unexpected. We received some lovely fruit trees as engagement presents. White peach, lemon and cherry...can't wait for the produce!

We have continued to work on our garden. Tomorrow I will be spending Australia Day outside planting in my NEW and LOVELY redgum sleeper vegetable garden. Cleverly constructed by Mr S.

I am attempting to spend more time outside. Since I got my new promotion I am stuck behind a desk all day. Rarely being allowed to breathe the fresh country air.

Two of my sister-in-laws are expecting new babies in April and May (yay....6 nieces and nephews....)

I have signed up for weekly yoga classes, starting on Wednesday night. I cannot wait. Hopefully it will be a nice place to meet new people.

I have 4 weeks leave in March/April so I expect to do lots of crafty, happy, pretty, adventurous things....