Bedroom Inspiration and a GIVEAWAY!!!!

I am finding my bedroom a little, um...... uninspiring. Practical, yes. Functional, yes. But not somewhere I feel compelled to spend my time. I have been dreaming about a lovely, airy, bright bedroom, the type of place that whispers, come, lay a while, curl up with a book. So I am making plans of how to turn my boring, functional bedroom into this room I dream about. I am thinking maybe some new accessories are in order, and I am totally in love with the idea of something like these headboards- 

Then maybe I could add a new duvet set, some lamps and a rug.

Sadly for me, I can't buy any of this lovely stuff as it is all from CSNstores.com, an American based company and they don't ship down here to little old New Zealand. But, my loss is your gain! CSNstores is offering one of my lovely readers a $40USD gift certificate that can be spent on anything (yes anything!) your heart desires from their online stores. 

How to enter-

Leave a comment on this post telling me what you would use the $40 to buy

For a second entry blog about this giveaway or link to it on your blog, and leave a second comment telling me about it.

The boring bits-

You need to leave me your email address if it is not visible through your blogger account.

Your email address will be forwarded to CSNstores so they can email you your voucher.

Sorry but this giveaway is only open to residents of the U.S.A and Canada.

I will close off this giveaway on Saturday the 3rd of July and announce a winner on Monday the 5th.

Good Luck!

My Creative Space

In my creative space today is another pair of wrist warmers, this time for me! They are made using this ravelry pattern and are knitted in moda vera mouse. I think the button is a lovely finishing touch, don't you?

In the wee hours

Dawn. Something I rarely saw before I had children, in fact I think up until age 29, I had seen dawn only a handful of times. A few times I saw it to get to the airport to catch an early flight. Occasionally, in my late teens/early 20s I saw it after staying out all night. Once, on the 1st of January 2000, we got up to watch the sunrise, after all, New Zealand was the first place in the world to welcome in the new millennium. But, I must confess, I am not a morning person. Even when I was nursing, I managed to wrangle a position that allowed me to work the much more lady like hours of 8am-4.30pm. 

Recently, I was talking to a good friend who has recently become a mother. She was bemoaning the lack of sleep and she was adamant she would never adjust to getting so little of it. The funny thing is, you do. You really, really do. These days, if I get to sleep in until after 7am, I consider myself lucky. I can honestly say that in the last two and a bit years, I have seen more dawns than I have had hot breakfasts. 

When Holly was a baby, I hated the night waking and early morning starts. I longed for her to sleep through the night. Since Isla has been born however, I have grown to like the night wakes.... just a little bit. Being a second child, you just don't get that same one on one time that you do with your first. So, there is something lovely and special about those times in the middle of the night when I take the little one into bed with me. When she snuggles up close and I can hear the rhythmical sounds of her feeding and feel her little hand stroking my side. It is our time, lovely, quiet, peaceful.

One day, I look forward to sleeping all night and not starting my days before the sun but for now, I try to appreciate these times because I know they will be over before I know it. 

Flea Market Finds

I found this lovely Mesop slip dress in my local op shop this week. It is brand new, still with it's original price tags on, only I got it for about one 10th of its original price. Although it is a summer dress, I have found it looks fab with a merino top underneath and boots. Have a feeling this might become a foundation piece in my wardrobe attire. 

For more flea market finds, check out Her Library Adventures

Chalk Drawing

The weather was amazingly un-winter like today in our little corner of paradise, in fact it was positively balmy. What better way to enjoy the unseasonal warmth than getting outdoors amongst it. So we threw open all the doors and windows and happily spent the day in the garden.

 

My little creative one and a blast drawing chalk pictures up and down the path.

I just love watching her create her little abstract wonders, she becomes so engrossed when she is hard at work creating.

Granddad could not resist a little creative work himself, so now our whole neighborhood knows that 'Holly lives here' 

Happy weekend everyone 

This Moment

A friday ritual (inspired by soulemama). a single photo capturing a moment from the week. a simple, special, extraordinary moment. a moment to pause, savor and remember. 

My Creative Space

In my creative space today are the wrist warmers, I started ages ago but finally finished this morning! They were one of those projects I started, then lost my mojo on. But, it is a good friends birthday this week and I decided these would make the perfect gift for her. So, I did a big knitting night last night and cast off the second one this morning. I am so pleased with how they turned out, the 7 deadly ribs really is a lovely looking pattern, don't you think? Oh and incase you are wondering, I gave them to my friend this afternoon and she loved them. 

Flea Market Finds

I found two little lovelies this week. I went out looking for a teapot, I have been on the hunt for one for a while now. Anyway, I stopped in at a junk shop I have never been to before and I am so very pleased I did. This place was like doctor Who's tardis, from the road it looked tiny but inside it went on for miles and was full of all kinds of wonderful. It was here that I found this Staffordshire Midwinter teapot AND coffeepot. The teapot is in a pattern called Mediterranean and the coffee pot is Spanish Garden. I could not choose between them...... so I bought both! 

For more flea market finds, check out Her library adventures.

I Love You

I Love you. 

Funny how those three little words pull at our heart strings so, they are just words after all. But, when said by someone you love back, they have the ability to make you feel like fireworks are exploding in your heart. 

Today I heard those three little words for the very first time from my girl. So unexpected and sweet, she smiled and said 'I Love you'. I smiled back, hugged her, held her close and said 'I love you too'. 

It was a sweet, perfect moment, a moment you wish you could take a photo of so you could look back at it a million times. 

A moment that makes all the hard bits of being a Mama worthwhile. 

luziapimpinella

Nic from luziapimpinella, must have the coolest job in the world, she is a textiles designer. She designs the most beautiful and amazing fabrics and ribbons. I have been a fan of her designs for a while and have several of her farbenmix ribbon designs. Recently, I was lucky enough to win a giveaway on her blog of a meter of her new fabric design LOVEchirp and 3 meters of matching ribbon!

I think this is the most stunning design, isn't she talented? I still have not decided what to make with it yet, as it is such beautiful fabric, I really want to make something special. 

She also included several lengths of extra ribbon designs too. How sweet is that.

Thank you so much Nic.

The gifting gods have been very kind to me of late, so I think, to keep my karma in good order, I will be doing another blog giveaway soon, stay tuned. 

Pardon My Chaos

Great name for a blog isn't it? Pardon My Chaos. If you have not checked out Amy's blog before, you really should. Not only is she a Muma of 5 little ones, she also finds time to create all kinds of crafty goodness and bake all manner of delicious treats. I honestly don't know how she finds the time, I take my hat off to you Amy. 

I recently received a lovely parcel of goodies in the mail from Amy. 

The most amazing necklace she crocheted, isn't it just the most unique and beautiful thing? I have been wearing it pretty much non stop since it arrived. 

She also sent this sweet little hat that my girl is loving and a ball of the most divine merino blend yarn. The hat has already come in handy as winter begins to set in, here in our little corner of paradise. 

Thank you Amy, so very much.

My Creative Space

In My creative space today are badges! Lots and lots of badges! I purchased a small hand press for making them and it arrived late last week. So as you can see, I have been having a lot of fun this week, making all my fabric scraps into beautiful badges.

One Lucky Muma

My little one is cutting her first tooth and lets just say, she is not a very happy girl. There have been lots of tears and grumpyness the last few days. It is not like her, she is normally such a little ray of sunshine. She really is-

A happy

Sweet

bubbly

amazing

Little girl.

Some times I pinch myself and wonder how I got so lucky, not just once, but twice.  I feel like the luckiest Muma in the world. 

Flea Market Finds

I found two little gems this week. The first one was actually found by Holly. It is a little metal toy bus. This bus has traveled a long way since we found it, along all the shop windows on the way back to the car, around our lounge, kitchen and over her baby sister. 

The second find is a little side table. I first spied it a couple of weeks back, tucked in the corner of my local junk shop. It kept playing on my mind, so I went back and amazingly it was still there. So, now it is calling the corner of my dining room home.

Hope everyone is having a lovely weekend :-)

In My Mail Box Today

Recently I entered a giveaway on Elizabeth's blog Toile and guess what?! I was the lucky winner of one of her prizes.  In the package was this amazing toile fabric (very appropriate!), a whole 1.5yards of it. Isn't it just delicious? I can't decide what I should make with it, I am thinking maybe some pillowcases that would take pride of place on the lounge couch. 

Also included was this sweet little rabbit stamp and ink pad. I am thinking this will make a beautiful embellishment on little gift cards. 

And also included to my surprise was this ceramic button. I have never seen anything quite like it before. As much as I love my little corner of paradise, here in New Zealand. It is when I see things like this, I am reminded how limited our selection of crafting supplies is. 

Thank you so much Elizabeth for this lovely gift. If you have never visited Toile before, please pop over, she has a lovely blog.

A Very Messy Business

I had forgotten just how very messy it is when a little one starts on solids. We started Isla a few weeks ago on homemade sweet potato and pumpkin, what a hit! The little one practically had my hand off trying to get more. It is the sweetest thing, as she eats she goes "mmmmm", so I am thinking she is liking her solids. It's delightful to watch her little face as she experiences these new tastes and textures. What is slightly less fun is cleaning up her seat, the table, the chairs and the floor after she has finished!