Meet My Girls

Tarquinn




Likes:
Dancing, dress ups, Mummy's lasagna, her sisters, the museum, swimming, playing make believe, High School Musical, puppies, cooking, helping Mummy, the beach, drawing, art, reading and writing.

Dislikes:
Birds, cheese, pips/seeds in fruit, hospitals, maths and cleaning her room.

When I grow up:
She wants to be a Mummy and a Performer, but I think she'll be a fabulous Teacher.

Personality Traits:
Creative, caring, clever, problem solver, imaginative, helpful and eager to please.



Milla




Likes:
Bubbles, In the Night Garden, Elmo, cheese, food in general, swimming, cats, farm animals, Happy Feet, playing outdoors, drawing and cooking.

Dislikes:
Flies, peas, wearing socks, having her hair done, sitting still.

When I grow up:
Without a doubt she'll have a career as a chef or cafe owner or anything to do with food and eating. This girl LOVES her food!

Personality Traits:
Cheeky, stubborn, loving, charismatic, inquisitive, brave, bubbly & imaginative.



Imogen




Likes:
Her sisters, especially Milla who always makes her smile, showers and baths, being swaddled extra tight, long walks and cuddles.

Dislikes:
Shopping and when the car stops moving.

When I grow up:
Hmm bit too early to tell but being a Piscean like her mum it'll no doubt be something creative.

Personality Traits:
Quiet, observant, happy and easy going.

How To: Thoughtful & Affordable Gifts for Children

So it's birthday season again. You know how it goes, the school bag comes home stuffed with hundreds of little envelopes containing invitations to your child's friends birthdays, of whom until now you have never heard of let alone met. It is often these occasions that I somewhat dread, as you never know what to get the child and you don't know the mother from a bar of soap and so can't ask her what they might like. Then there's the obvious trip to the toy store, but this always seems to end in tears as I undoubtedly buy the same Barbie as Sally's mum!

Does this sound like the unfolding drama of your life? Well how about trying some of these handmade ideas instead, and guarantee a truly unique and cherished gift!

DIY Flower Pots

You will need:

1 x Terracotta pot, big enough to hold the following items within (purely for presentation purposes)

1 x Paint brush

1 x Small set of washable acrylic paints (or else the mother may hurt you!)

1 x Pair of children's gardening gloves

1 x Packet of seeds or flower bulbs (depending on the season)

I also like to include a small garden gnome, pinwheel or other garden ornament to jazz it up a little.

Assemble all of the above in to the pot and wrap in cellophane. Embellish with ribbon and a handmade birthday card. Voila! The perfect kids pressie and for well under $20!

image credit foxifaeri.

Button Jars

Believe it or not kids LOVE collecting. If you're a crafter with kids like me, you no doubt have had them pine over your jars of lovely buttons or beads or whatever your material of choice is. So why not encourage this fascination of collecting by giving them the beginnings of a collection all of their very own! It doesn't have to be buttons either see below for some other simple ideas:

You will need:

1 x Recycled jar. Jam jars are fab for this, be sure to wash them out thoroughly beforehand.

1 x Square of fabric to decorate the top of your jar and an elastic band and ribbon to hold it in place.

Half fill the jar with the collectors item of choice. Some ideas include:

Buttons, shells, stamps, beads, marbles or alternatively fill it with jellybeans!

Perhaps include a short note on a swing tag, explaining how the child could add to their collection and where they might find more buttons/marbles etc.

image credit kellie.

Swap Cards

No I don't mean the ones emblazoned with the latest football stars or Pokemon. Remember the ones from the good old days with images of horses, kittens and ballerinas? Well they're still out there! Search your local Op Shop or thrift store, search under the 'vintage' section on Etsy or even check your local newsagent - mine still stocks them (Granted they're a bit dusty!) Another sweet addition to this could be to slip in a couple of cut to size photos of your own child, or the birthday boy/girl. You wait, it'll be the new craze in the school yard.

image credit Vintage LOVE.

Sweet Treats

A little surprise from hubby on his way home from work, to thank me for a week of lovely dinners - what a sweety!

So what was on the menu I hear you ask? Let's see, this week included a Ham and Vegetable Quiche, Spaghetti Bolognese, Chicken Cacciatore and Grilled Fish with Veg and a few baked treats including Marshmallow Slice, Chocolate Fudge Cake and Brownies! Phew, it was a busy week!

Taste buds tingling? Click on the picture below for a fabulous Marshmallow Slice recipe - Bon Appetit!

Sketch Book

Had a sudden jolt of inspiration late last night and managed to put onto paper a few design concepts for some new signature 'Little Threads' Softies. Am thinking of doing a range of children's decor from the illustrations also - exciting!

"A good snapshot stops a moment from running away" - Eudora Welty

Ok so I too am going to attempt to archive my life in pictures, by doing the photo-a-day challenge. I hope if I get anything out of it at all, it will be to at least catch snapshots of the things in my life I am most grateful for. This could be difficult as there are so many things I'm lucky to have in my life! If you want to see what I'm talking about, take a look at what Fiona has managed to capture from her own life, simply beautiful! Oh well let's see how I go, I shall post a collage of the collections in due course ...

to be continued...

image credit lomography.

The Mad Hatter

I wish I could wear hats. I am probably the worlds biggest hat aficionado who never actually wears any.

It seems to be due to a sad and awkward combination of big 'sticky-outy' ears and bulbous head, that cause every possible contender to be reluctantly put back on the shelf.

It is this unfortunate predicament that has come between me and my closeted hat fetish. Oh how I pine for that perfect cashmere beret or crocheted baker boy cap. But alas it isn't meant to be ...

oh well, I shall just have to settle for shoes ...

Owl Obsessions

What is it with the humble old owl that just gets my feathers fluttering?

Since I was very young I always admired my Aunt's eclectic collection of owls. Her house was peppered with them in all shapes and sizes. Metal, porcelain and wood, they were collected from all areas of the globe. I wonder if our Baltic heritage perhaps has something to do with it, as it is a rare occasion that you come across an owl in suburban Australia. Although my mother suspects that she perhaps only owned a few, which others misinterpreted as a collection and so kept giving her more and more, consequently taking on a life of its own.

And it's not just me the trend has taken on a life of its own of late, and is truly becoming an owl-fever pandemic!

Etsy Update

FANTASTIC news! Not even one week into business and 'Little Thread's has already been selected as a featured seller on the front page of Etsy! The above owl pendant was selected as a favourite item - what a 'hoot'!

More jewelry, vintage and childrens wares will be posted throughout the week, so keep checking back. Have a fabulous weekend!

SALE!

This Weekend Only one FREE pair of drop earrings with every purchase from my etsy store!