Georgie Love

Shoppy Tips

2012-02-15T08:58:00.000+11:00

Could this be Australia's tiniest Centro?

I am a bit of an online shopper as you can imagine. This has come in VERY handy since we moved to country NSW as while there are 3 shopping malls, the best of shopping here is Big W, Target or if you are feeling frisky, Noni B and Jay Jays. There is not a lot. I always bought a lot (most things) online before we moved anyway because I love the convenience, I find much more interesting and fun pieces online, plus it is freaking cheaper, even if you include shipping,

I think I do struggle to find a balance between shopping and supporting local makers (which I definitely try and do with handmade as a first option obviously, buying fruit and veg from our local farmer's market, and free range meat from the local butcher), but for other things, I want to find the best value. I know I have harped on about this before, I DO think we are hideously overcharged in Australia, our market is smaller and we have been locked out from importing for ourselves products that are better priced and will be shipped to us. For example last year I bought a Bobbi Brown eye palette which was $120 in Australia. I bought it for $60 from the US (I do have a lovely friend who ships things for me, I could possibly hook you up too!). I find it offensive. If you look at this Australian Bobbi Brown site and this almost exact same page on the US site, all the products in Australian dollars are double. Why would I pay that? WHY???? I WANT to support small and independent stores and WILL where I can, but I want a fair and equitable price too.

Most days I will wear an outfit where everything I am wearing (including underwear and shoes) were bought online, the only thing I bought from a shop would be my socks. I am online shopping SAVVY. I have had things occasionally arrive slowly, in 10+ years of shopping online (seriously) have had fewer than 5 things go missing, and what has was always replaced.

I often visit this page for free worldwide shipping websites (note: not ALL sites are free all the time, some are oft occasional promotions) and this one for international sites that ship to Australia, which even WITH post is hugely cheaper.

I have thought A LOT about making shipping free on Georgie Love as an ongoing thing, but I am such a teeny business that I can't afford it yet, but it is one of my eventual goals. However to practice what I preach, use the coupon BLOGGY for FREE SHIPPING on anything for YOU till the end of FEB which I think is FEB 29 this year!

BOX OF WIN - GIVEYAY!

2012-02-14T04:30:00.000+11:00

I love a giveaway. It's just me and my good-customer-service-but-terrible-business-acumen way of running Georgie Love. LOVE looking after people and making them happy, surprises, extras all happy-happy goodness. I haven't done one in AGES. I have spent a lot of time in 2011 and earlier this year looking after my family and a new baby, which is super important of course, but it also meant that I put Georgie Love on the backburner and now I need to spend some time and energy building it back up.

Last year I acquired about 45 amazing handmade vintage dresses for Georgie Love (story to follow) which have been sitting here with me since October last year and it is my MISSION over the next few weeks to start putting them online. It's going to be tricky since I DON'T have any kind of model to show them off at their best, so I need to figure how to shoot them flat on a board and at their best. I am working on it.

Anyway, it's a New Year, it's VALENTINE'S DAY and I am getting a bit of time back to myself as a parent and small business owner so to celebrate, yep this IS OUR BIGGEST GIVEAWAY EVER.

See! Look at all that goodness smooshed up in that one photo. Can I explain what the WINNER will get.

PIP LINCOLNE! Australian craft icon and all-around-lovely dollface of a Melbourne lady has written a number of brilliant crafty inspiration how-to books and you can win TWO. Both are gorgeous, brand new and ready to inspire you on YOUR OWN crafty journey. Because I love that and believe in Pip and her super ace work in encouraging and inspiring others.

TO HELP YOU CREATE, a small selection of vintage fabrics and teatowels to help you make. There might be more than this in your BOX OF WIN.

CUTE! This is an as-new vintage dutch apron is just SUPER CUTE and I have been holding on to it for far too long and I think it needs to find a super-happy new home.

SHOP, OH lookie here, it's just a $50 Georgie Love voucher to buy something nice for yourself.

VINTAGE PICTURE BOOK BROOCHES because I MADE THESE MYSELF.

GEORGIE LOVE cute earrings, brooch and hair clips.

SHOES! VINTAGE! YELLOW! About a size 8 chosen specifically to go with:

DELIGHTFUL VINTAGE DRESS. GOOD LORD do I wish that I managed to find someone to model this, as my photos of it are JUST SHIT. This is one of my faves from the batch of dresses I have and one of the few store bought vintage dresses in my collection. It has however been completely refashioned by the dressmaker previous owner. This dress is a vintage size 12, but is actually quite generous, it can be belted for a smaller lady for a glorious swishy-swishy look to it, or belted for a fuller figure (to a 14 or maybe even 16?) It is a dress and size that could fit and suit a lot of different sizes and shapes, so that is why I included this particular one.

It's adorable, take my word for it. The original light polyblend was white and navy striped shift with tiny navy spots, but the previous (dressmaker) owner added (VIA HANDSTITCHING MIND YOU) navy polkadot sleeves, neckline and button sleeve feature, and can I just point out ALL THE PERFECT PLEATS WHICH ARE COMPLETELY HANDSTICHED. It was a dull dress that had a magnificent make over. I am disappointed my pics are so shitty, as it is AWESOME. So find a cute belt, put on the yellow heels and note that Georgie Love now has your cutest spring outfit SORTED.

Clearly though, I need to sort out my dress photography OR a model before I get cracking on these dresses.

Oh wait there is a RUNNER UP GIVEAWAY! A copy of Pip's second book Sew La Tea Do AND A $30 GEORGIE LOVE VOUCHER.

Ok, here is the important HOW TO ENTER INFORMATION:
Blog (to clarify in YOUR BLOG!), Tweet, Facebook link to what you would buy from Georgie Love with the $50 voucher (or put it towards). Put the blog entry link here, If twitter, use #georgielove as a hashtag, or make sure I can count the facebook link, by friending Georgie Love)

1 entry per media format (eg: Facebook, Twitter and Blog) allowed

Only Australian Residents are eligible for main giveaway. International entries welcome for second prize

Winner will be drawn on 29 Feb through a number randomiser.

If I have missed something ASK ME.

Good luck, I hope YOU are a winner!

GOOD THINGS MONDAY - Sharing is caring

2012-02-13T08:43:00.000+11:00

image

Ok, more than anything else I (hardly ever) cook, I get asked for the recipe I am about to share with you. It is my go-to cake. Do you have a go-to cake? The fail-proof, easy peasy but delicious thing you can get in the oven within 10 minutes and IMPRESS PEOPLE with when they pop over all warm and delicious freshly made. Fancy. This is my cake and luckily it is delicious. I don't know where I got it from, but I cook it so often (once a week at least) that I don't need to look at a recipe to make it.

I love that it only has 5 ingredients (I have a million recipe books that I NEVER use, I realised recently .that I don't use them because a big list of ingredients tends to put me off and overwhelm me)

So here is my DISCLAIMER: If you make it today, you may eat it and go meh it's certainly nice, but not worth all the fuss Sally. If I am making it for an occasion (I made it on Friday for the lunch at our house on Saturday, covered in butter icing and orange zest, served on a platter with juicy grapes and watermelon), I ALWAYS make it the day before as it just moistens even more and the orange flavour develops even more. Nomnomnom.

Anyway, short point - this is my fave cake recipe. It is quick and easy and super tasty, particularly if you make it a day ahead.

GEORGIE LOVE'S WHOLE ORANGE LAZY LADY CAKE

ingredients:
1 Whole Orange
1 Cup Caster Sugar
1.5 Cups Self Raising Flour
3 Eggs
180 Grams Melted Butter or Margarine

instructions:
Preheat oven to 180 (or 160 fan forced). Wash your orange, I usually cut the little green tip off and then cut into quarters. Chuck into a food processor and blend until orange is all mashed up and smooth. Add everything else, don't even sift the flour, just chuck it all in and process until smooth. I have made this as a circle cake and cupcake, but most usually a bar tin which I just spray with alfa one oil spray and line with baking paper. Chuck in oven, cook for 40-60 minutes. Check around 40 with a skewer and see if it comes clean - if not, bake a little longer. If top starts to brown before cake is fully ready, cover top of tin with a little more baking paper, this stops it browning (THANKS for the tip CWA Cookbook!)

I sometimes ice, only if requested by DrMr or we have company - I find butter icing with lemon or orange zest on top is perfect, I have thought about doing a white chocolate icing or orange syrup drizzle, but can't go past the old favourite.

Would love to know if you make it and what you think.

Well La-de-dah. Fancy news.

2012-02-12T12:04:00.002+11:00

Hello! GOOD LORD am I having trouble getting and staying motivated in the new year to do anything involving work and businessy type stuff (my subtle way of saying Georgie Love). I keep waiting for flashes of inspiration and motivation, but they KEEP PASSING ME BY. Having said that though, it is only just February so I can pretend that I had a NICE LONG CHRISTMAS BREAK. My unofficial New Years resolution was to BLOG MORE, which so far is a spectacular fail. I think because I USED to blog in quiet moments at work, and now I have been at home with two kids, it's just KID RELATED MALARKY ALL THE TIME. This is the fourth time I have started and stopped writing this. After the move and related stresses, I think I am just catching up on some RELAXINGZ.

Wildflowers growing near our house

Things are mostly really good, we are kind of in this lazy hazy day to day routine of visits to the post office, library, parks, cafe, baking, supermarkets, dress-ups, crafts and the like. So the days are definitely filled in with good stuff, although Rubes has been desperately lonely for other kid company. I took a long weekend trip (Ruby called it our Girl's Club Holiday) to visit one of my oldest friends in Brisbane with girls just a little younger than my own which was great and Ruby had an absolutely fabulous time.

She started preschool 2 weeks ago and BALLET school, so she is beyond excited. Ruby's ballet obsession has been going on for probably a year now, so it is timely and I think ballet class was nearly the GREATEST DAY IN THE WORLD for her. With all this she is SUPER TIRED at the moment and is literally begging to go to bed at 5 every night, so why fight that? HELLO GROWN-UP EVENINGS.

This door appeared on Saturday morning in Ruby's room, signifying that it was now FINALLY time to ditch the dummies and leave them for the dummy fairies. This morning she woke (us all) up at 5am with screams of excitement with what the fairies left her. I thought this dress wasn't going to be ridiculous froufrou enough, but good lord, in retrospect, I COULD HAVE TONED IT DOWN SOME.

Lola is now 7.5 months! She slept through the night once this week and it's giving me hope that we might get a few more - night feeds have been stretching out, so maybe I WILL FINALLY GET GOOD SLEEP! The one night she slept through I was awake a few times with Rubes and a super noisy storm. Ugh. She is also starting to self feed as I just got completely fed up with the spoon battles. It's a slower and messier process, but worthwhile in the long run. She remains as funny and charming as ever.

Still happy in Armidale, I have been getting out at early evenings for night walks which has been marvellous as exercise is definitely an energy and mood improver for me, having some non-parenting ALONE TIME as well as enjoying the scenery. Quite seriously, Armidale has the most spectacular sunsets and I am sure I am boring to tears anyone on my instagram or twitter feed with my constant inadequate capturing of them. We actually had people over yesterday for lunch FOR THE FIRST TIME in the new house, so we are meeting people and socialising. I DID however invite (bug) a lovely and funny lady for coffee who I BOUGHT A VASE FROM on EBAY, which I don't know if that is a new low or high, but like a non-sexual or weird dating scene, I am PUTTING MYSELF OUT THERE. I have also been volunteering at Rubes' school for half a day a week which is more adult conversation that I am having and doing something useful feels good.

Peppa Goat

We got three goats - Peppa, Jade and Dakota. They are lovely and we love having them about. They were hand reared together, so they are super social and friendly and are a cute little herd that wanders around the 7 acres. They have their own little personalities - Peppa is the leader, the friendliest and smartest and thinks of herself as a cheeky house cat. She winds her way around legs for pats like a house cat too.

This ridiculousness is the new Georgie Love postcard

In Georgie Love news, last year I acquired 45 vintage handmade dresses from the 50s to say 80s and they are as AMAZING as you can imagine. I have washed them and have had them sitting around since October or November last year. I don't have a model here to take photos of them on, so I may try and start shooting them this week. ALSO I have planned my biggest GIVEAWAY EVER this month, so STAPLE YOURSELF IN AND STAY TUNED.

Top Tipz

2012-01-15T09:36:00.001+11:00

I have had this unread in my inbox since October, THAT'S HOW ORGANISED I AM, but I like the idea of HOW TO GET YOUR WHOLE HOUSE CLEAN IN TWO HOURS.

Because LADY DOMESTIC, that is who I am. Snort snort.

News from the farm

2012-01-05T20:20:00.000+11:00

Oh man. SO Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year to YOU, right? I have been meaning to blog for ages, but have been struck by both busy-ness and apathy. Plus I STILL read so many blogs during middle of the night breastfeeds, I don't feel like I am out of touch at all, but then I look and realise it is a month between words here. Anyway! Yes! We moved. Here we are in Armidale, actually we moved about 15km out on a 7 acre plot in the middle of some gorgeous land. We wake up to kangaroos and bunnies in the backyard, frogs, butterflies, dragonflies, shetland ponies who come and visit on occasion (and have the occasional sneaky apple or carrot from us), ducks and yabbies in our two dams, turtles out and about... and we are having three hand reared kid goats turn up in about a week, plus plans of chooks in a couple of weeks too. It's a little different from our rental poo-hole in Blackburn, with our crazy and super-creepy neighbours who liked to film us.

QUICKLY, OUR NEWS:

For the first time EVER Georgie Love has it's own office. This is the view from my window. As you can see from this picture, it is known as either my office OR the pink room. I have plans to paint. The walls are white, just this pink skirting nonsense.

BECAUSE... we bought the house we were renting. 7 acres, 5 bedrooms plus a study, 2 massive living rooms, 2 bathrooms, it is HUGE. It's ace but there is stuff we can do to it to make it our own and add value so it's kind of perfect.

We had a lovely quiet Christmas and it was the first year where Rubes was really cognisant of the whole "Santa experience" and she was both excited and overwhelmed. We ate a super relaxed Christmas lunch in our pajamas. Lola looks like Jughead and had no idea what was going on, but she liked the new toys and wrapping to play with.

Lola is going great guns at 6 months, although we just had a growth spurt and have a little tooth coming through, so she is a little cranky. This is the kid who never cries, but has the most ear piercing squeal you have ever heard. She is an extroverted, smiley, mama's-girl charmer who kisses with her mouth open in a literal interpretation of sucking face.

Rubes is loving the country life, she loves the animals and space, I think she is missing her friends quite a lot, so we are both hanging out for when she starts a Montessori preschool at the end of January. We have been doing lots of activities - painting, baking, parks, toy library and the story and craft hour at the library, so keeping busy. We are going to check out the local pool in the next week, which has a super cute toddler section. She remains precocious, loving, bossy and hilarious.

DrMr is liking his new job a LOT, which is great, since his last job was a craphole stressmobile. There seems to be very nice people and a lovely Uni campus, so he is happy. Plus we bought a ride on mower which we both like to pretend to feel like cowboys riding around the property.

As for me, I am getting freckly in the sunshine (the sun is INTENSE here, 23 feels like 33). A little lonely as most of my conversations are with a 3 year old (who has recently discovered The Fairies, which is KILLING ME), but that is lessening as already I see the same people everywhere (unnerving at first) and little chats and routines are happening here and there. I don't regret the move as a decision for my family in the slightest, I love the house and town and all our little creatures around, we are both relaxed and loving having more leisure time. Meeting people takes time, I get that.

We have been discovering beautiful natural spots that we all love splashing our (hot) feet in. I have found a few op shops, some a bit meh and some spectacular. There are lots of things on our list of things to do that we are slowly getting to. Ah, there is a massive storm as I type this which is SUPER NOISY and I can hear the kids wake, I think I am done here!

Is this your package?

2011-12-07T21:15:00.001+11:00

Oh GOSH, SO much to tell, we are finally here in Armidale (well, to be precise INVERGOWRIE, about 15km out). Here I am trying to get some work done. It's been SO busy and crazy - Georgie Love Xmas orders (loads) a teething baby (mostly happy, just slightly clingier than usual and a tad harder to get to sleep, which is still a ton easier than loads of other bebes I know) and a super-sensitive toddler trying to cope with new things, new people and a big girl bed. A kangaroo in our backyard (paddock) even jumped over Georgie yesterday. I am exhausted, stressed, sore, worn out and highly caffeinated. But happy. Mostly happy. I will write more when things settle down.

(PS: I want a washer-dryer combo for Christmas - is that so wrong?)

2011-11-29T21:45:00.001+11:00

We are moving in two days! To a fairly delightful 7 acre property just out of town. Will be back online sometime next week. In the meantime, The Owl Barn have released their second (FREE!) Owl Love Printable Calendar (choose out of 45 options!).

Need a budget gift or something lovely to decorate your wall next year? LOVE.

LATER PEEPS.

(ps: I am a STRESSY, sick, wisdom toothy, hot and cranky mess. Oh YES. WHAT A DELIGHT)

Where I mostly whine a lot and feel sorry for myself. Again.

2011-11-14T11:57:00.001+11:00

So let's just say that Mama here is a wee bit stressed. We are moving in about 2.5 weeks and can I just say the days ARE DRAGGING LIKE DEATH. There are days where we have woken up, watched some Wiggles, had breakfast, played play-doh, magnet pictures, dolls house, made a cake as well as gone through the dress up box and it's only 10:30. GAH.

I think we are all a bit unsettled, eager to get going and moving forward and anxious about the unknown.

So I also have a baby who just can't seem to go past that 40 minute sleep cycle during the day. I have been able to extend and resettle her maybe 3 times in 19 weeks, but all day time every day it's just awake for about an hour, asleep for 40 minutes and so on and on and on. She is obviously as tired and as frustrated as I am about it. She sleeps better at night, she goes to bed around six and sleeps usually 4 or more hours before her first night feed, once or twice 6 or 7 hours straight, but OFTEN like last night she wakes every 60-90 minutes. I AM TIRED.

Out of desperation we tried to introduce a little plain solids which she took to like a duck to water (she had been very interested in people eating before hand) and LOVED, but it made nought difference.

Rubes finished daycare last week, so she is home full time which is a novelty for both of us. This is a relationship that has been really hard to manage recently - she knows about the move and is quite positive about it and the changes coming - she is excited about (pre)school next year, I promised I would enrol her in ballet classes as well (my stifled eye roll and shudder not withstanding) and when we talk about not being able to see our friends as much, she has responded with "that's ok Mama, I am going to make NEW friends!!!!!". Okey doke. ANYWAY, despite all this she is (understandably) needing a ton of extra care and attention at the moment, her panic around strangers is re-emerging, a lot of attention seeking behaviour and tantrums at home and she has lost the ability for independent or solo play, which while I DO play with her often and make sure I give her one-on-one undivided attention every day - all day every day? No. So I am working at managing those expectations and demands, while trying to do some gentle parenting and extra TLC. She quit naps a while ago (she would easily sleep 3-4 hours a day, but wouldn't go to sleep until 9 or later!), so it's a loooong day. A LOOOOOOOOOOONG DAY.

I have tried to implement a couple of changes that are going ok - despite the lack of nap, I have started an hour (I want to stretch this out to an hour and a half) of bedroom quiet time every day. Where she has to
have a little sleep if she wants or read or play with something in her room - just so she relearns to play by herself, has that quiet time to re-energise and I get an hour break to just recharge myself. I am sure all you clever Mamas reading this have been doing this forever already, but it's new to us. I am looking at restructuring our day and starting a loose routine for the first time - I have not been getting any exercise and I FEEL AS OLD AND DECREPIT AS THE HILLS, so with Lola in the carrier and Ruby in the pram (which is unheard of), we have been going for walks and little adventures around the area. It will be a good thing to continue in Armidale when we get there, to get to know the area and where the best hot chocolates are. Yum.

Anyway one thing that she is really excited about and is super happy to work on - we have a little box set aside and we have been doing crafty things to decorate her new bedroom with - painted and pasted glittery flowers and butterflies. I was thinking tomorrow of making either little colour paper flag or flower bunting for her room. I am also midst repainting a tiny chest of drawers I made DRMR pick up for us in hard rubbish for Lola, which I have never done before. I just did the undercoat today, am COVERED in it, but lordy it was fun and satisfying.

My beautiful, sensitive big girl also turned 3 last week. THREE! Time has flown.

Whilst in the midst of tidying our stuff, chucking, donating to op shops. stuff also keeps coming back in the house. I have had a string of oppy good luck lately, and there are some things I just can't resist...

Like fab condition $1 and $2 vintage suitcases (there is 4 there, although admittedly the big trunk was $25, in glorious condition and houses our vastly growing dress up collection) .

Woollen blankets! We are definitely going to need those in the colder climate, so they are useful and necessary - right? The crochet one is GORGEOUS, huge, the colours glorious and it's actual wool instead of acrylic. Happy.

Can't resist a cute nic nac.

And I have been looking for one of these Woman's Weekly recipe boxes for quite a few years - $4 at my second favourite Lions., handwritten recipes included, I am pretty chuffed.

We made these crisp coconut bikkies this morning. Ruby declares them "the most delicious cookie I have ever eaten". My teeth are a little sore from the sugar.

Big things, small things.

2011-10-27T21:29:00.000+11:00

Goodness, it's been literal MONTHS since I updated...

but see this face? It is SLAYING me. Miss Lola has been taking up a lot of my time. She is my super happy, easy going, baby who rarely cries. I get distracted and will start doing one thing and then another and all of a sudden I will hear this little birdy "brrrrack!" chirp from the bedroom and I will go "oh shit! I have a baby!" She is so low key and happy.

AND JUST LOOK AT THAT FACE.... AHHHHHHHKHKJKSDcnmcni!!! I keep looking inside her cheeks for hidden chestnuts. I have also been absent because I haven't had much to say - I have been busy parenting, baking... I have been sitting here for a few minutes eating smarties, sipping at my tea and trying to figure out what I have been doing for 4 months. Op shopping, cleaning, doing a teeny bit of Georgie Love. Not a lot. But I FINALLY HAVE NEWS.NOT ONLY NEWS, BIG NEWS.

DrMr got a new job. We have been talking about moving out of Melbourne and to a (nice, not rednecky) country town. And it's happened. On 1 December we are moving from Cosmopolitan Melbourne (and to be precise, GLAMOROUS BLACKBURN SOUTH) to Armidale in NSW.

16 hours away. A town of 25,000. I COULD NOT BE HAPPIER. I am so excited I could burst. Everyone we have told has only ever commented that it is beautiful but cold (it can possibly snow in winter! Squee!). I have been craving a slower lifestyle forever. DrMr and I have been talking a lot over the past few years about what our values are and what we value and what is precious to us. Our family is. Absolutely. We want the best life that we can provide for them and for ourselves. We have actually been talking about and looking at Armidale FOR YEARS, and I saw a job there a few months ago and pushed him to apply. And voila. Big lifestyle change.

I am though a LITTLE STRESSED. There is A LOT to do in the next month. The Uni there is paying for the pack and move which is AWESOME, but I am trying and planning to go through every cupboard and corner to sort and evict unnecessary clutter from the house. I have the most bizarre collections of things in every corner, I would photograph them BUT I HAVE NO TIME. I have started with the kitchen and it is going ok. I have till 1 December, plenty o' time.... right? YES.

OTHER NEWS: I am going to be a stay-at-home mama for the next little while and have no job to go back to which DOES make me a little nervous, BUT I am taking Georgie Love with me. All alone back to being a one-woman-one-dog (and now two kids and a mister) operation. I have neglected Georgie Love a little bit with everything that has gone on the past year and I am actually also SUPER EXCITED to take it back and nurture it a little and invest some time and energy. I have some ideas and plans.

I ALSO bought 46 AMAZING AMAZING (half of them are hand sewn, it's RIDICULOUS) vintage dresses recently and more to come on that later. They are all washed and aired and sitting on my dining table (one of four that I have, did you know I hoard tables and chairs?)

SO that is it. I imagine with the changes I AM going to blog again more frequently - to keep in touch, to keep in the loop, to process and note all the changes that are going on. Although I have been AWAY, I HAVE been dropping in on blogs daily (read blogs on my iphone in the too many middle of the night breastfeeds) and don't feel like I ahve been out of the loop at all. It's just that no one knows what has been going on with me.

STOP THE PRESS!

2011-08-27T17:27:00.000+10:00

Lovely Annie from Pearl and Elspeth is moving house in the next few weeks and as such is trying to clear out some of her massive collection of vintage fabrics. As a result, for a VERY limited time, you can get her COMPLETELY CUSTOM to your specifications skirt for almost half price, a ridiculous $50!!!!!!! These skirts are very popular and I can definitely recommend!

Other things as they occur to me

2011-08-18T17:09:00.001+10:00

Whether it's interesting or not, these are my coping mechanisms and cheat sheet for life with a newborn, a toddler and you know all that LIFE STUFF. DrMr and I don't have family in Melbourne that we can rely on, so we kind of have to make do on our own and improvise.

1. I think find the small things that make you feel in control, for me it's doing the dishes and making the beds. It makes me feel like I have my shit together, when in reality I DO NOT. I certainly don't want to imply that I do.

2. Steal all the ideas that your friends use to cope with their life and kids. I have a lovely new friend with THREE very small children, and I feel like I grill and barrage her with questions and then steal all those ideas and recipes and mske them my own.

3. Be kind to yourself as things will settle down. Yesterday was a particularly hideous day home alone with the two and I let Rubes watch ABC2 from when she got up till about 11:30 or so (her nap time, which lasted for three hours). I have a terribly overdeveloped guilt complex about everything, so I try and let that go.

4. When I say I am cooking 4 dinners this week, please understand that they are the quickest and easiest things I can find. I have planned for this week - lamb cutlets, pre-marinated honey and soy chicken sticks, pre-marinated salmon and sausages. These will be served with salad (and I have bought the pre-packaged one), mashed potato (one of the few vegies Rubes will eat, but once you add butter and milk, is it still a healthy vegetable? Rhetorical question that one), broccoli, beans, frozen corn and peas. Anything that can be chucked in with the potatoes I am boiling ready to mash. I am HOPING to roast some sweet potato this week as it's my favourite, but I am not tied to it. I consider all of this cooking. I DO also consider making toasted sandwiches cooking and will not hear otherwise. Don't get me wrong, I DO own a ridiculous amount of cookbooks that I like to browse and fantasise that I would be motivated to cook them one day, or more likely that Maggie Beer is my mama and Nigella my best friend and both adore cooking for me ALL THE TIME.

5. I make sure without fail that I have one-on-one Mama and Ruby time every day, even if it's just for half an hour of undivided and Lola-free attention, when I am not thinking about how revolting that dog smell is and how the start of mould growing in the laundry from additional dryer use is freaking me out. Yesterday we made little people out of toilet rolls and this morning we had a picnic on the kitchen with popcorn and water and played games. There are now pom poms and googly eyes all over the house, but it kind of matches with the ground up bits of popcorn and cornflakes in the carpet. i was looking at the carpet before and thinking I would photograph it to show you but shame got the better of me.

6. I get groceries delivered online. It's $9 in delivery fees but priceless in the lack of pain and trauma in taking the family to the shops. It also gives me the chance to meal plan. I tried a toddler meal delivery place which is not too expensive, but Rubes is so fussy she didn't eat any of the meals.

7. I have been to the shops with just the newborn in a pram or sling, but when I said I have been shopping for new things for me, it's all online. Mostly because it's significantly cheaper, but also because I do hate shopping. The internet is your friend in this regard, I have bought all sorts of things recently, while in bed and a baby on my breast. Often via eBay on my mobile phone at 3am.

Things that are not in control - the house REEKS of dog as I can't remember the last time he had a bath and he is old and stinky. I am still obsessed with the Eucalyptus Oil spray to cover it up. I do need to vacuum every few days with dog hair and toddler crumbs, but I only go as far as I can without removing the cord, which fortunately is the lounge, kitchen, hallway and entrance to bedrooms. I respond very late to any emails. Breastfeeding is kicking my arse at the moment as I have a too rapid letdown, which makes Lola come on and off all throughout a feed and has led to blood and milk blisters on my nipples, blocked ducts and just PAIN. Nothing I can do (apart from change positions, feed from one side at a time etc) until Lola gets a bit older to be able to keep up and appreciate her mama as the milk making goddess she is. All the coming on and off is giving her terrible wind though. And have you seen those chubby cheeks and thighs? Baby likes to feed. Having trouble getting the kids in bed and properly asleep before 9 and I collapse into bed soon after. I wish I was getting more exercise, make that any exercise. DrMr told me he has to teach tomorrow, Wednesday night and next Saturday which brought tears to my eyes as I value our weekends together and countdown to the days when there is an extra pair of hands in the house. After a long night feeding last night, I got to sleep in until 10 as well as given toast and tea in bed. I love that man.

This is how it is

2011-08-12T22:48:00.000+10:00

So! Little Lola has been with us nearly 6 weeks, which clearly explains my long absence as we become adjusted to being a family of four. And I also totally forgot that babies turn into little psychos at 6 weeks - the unexplained early evening crying, the constant need to be held all the time, not wanting to suffer a mere minute without a nipple in their mouth. You know, just turning up the amp on every thing.

HOWEVER! I am tired and it shows, but it's going well. Rubes loves her little sister, which we are lucky to behold, but that does not mean we have not experienced some spectacularly obnoxious behaviour along the way, which fortunately is starting to die down.

Other than that: I had a bit of a shopping spree and bought new clothes, make-up and underwear as well as a hair cut (found a rad lady who comes to your house and it's only $45 for one of the cheapest and best cuts I have had) so I feel MORE like myself. I had a real slump a couple of weeks ago, which I think is totally normal, I also turned 35 last week which feels odd. I am not a person to give a hoot about age, but when I filled in a survey recently and had to fill in my age bracket as 35-39... it was pause for thought. I also told DrMr soon after the birth that I could not imagine ever being motivated to cook again, BUT I HAVE. I have been working up from one meal a week, to two, three and this week will be FOUR. We have been subsiding on (hideous) frozen and take away meals. I would love to be passionate about cooking, but I am just not. I have also been making cakes and muffins for some reason. Maybe because it's something I can do fairly easily with a newborn strapped to me.

A list of things which are changing my life (in a far less dramatic way)
1. Changed to a cream cleanser, my skin has never been so happy. I always thought I had oily skin, turns out no, it's dry
2. I am Queen of the Fluffy Hair and I discovered this, and I don't really want to figure out why it is called wool shake, maybe because your hair is like matted wool after... but it's working for me. I LOVE IT.
3. Everyone seems to be going on overseas holidays and we haven't managed anything significant in the 5.5 years we have been together (I know, right?), but we are planning a weekend away in the next few weeks. It's SUPER SUPER kid friendly and isn't in our house, which is the main thing, but it's IN GEELONG. Because that's the kind of kick-arse fancy folks we are. Dontcha' know.

FINALLY what is it about having a baby that makes people (STRANGERS) think that it is appropriate for them to lean into a hooded pram and up into a sleeping baby's face to have a look. LADIES, I DON'T KNOW YOU, BACK THE HELL OFF. Lordy, do I love personal space and boundaries. The other day I had Lola in a carrier on my front, inches from my face and a woman reached in and removed Lola's hoodie hat to have a look at her. Of course I said something, as she turned around in a queue and just started with the hands towards me. I was taken aback and just said "that's enough" and put her hat back on.

I am (as well noted here) a shy person, but I would hope a reasonably FRIENDLY person, however I was saying to DrMr the other day that when people initiate conversations with me in shops and everywhere at the moment about Lola, all I am doing is standing there waiting for it to be over so I can move on and carry on about my business unhindered. I was talking it over with him as it's not necessarily something I want to pass on to my daughters - I am very wary of people I don't know and I don't know if that's a positive thing. I would love to be one of those open people who talks to everyone, but I am just not.

So yeah. This is where things are at.

She is here!

2011-07-07T11:45:00.000+10:00

Ok, so on Sunday morning my waters broke (not in an exciting massive gush like in the movies, more like a slow-leak "oh good lord am I wetting myself?" paranoia), with not much happening until about 8pm when contractions started, with my waking DrMr to take me to the hospital about midnight, calling our lovely friends who were coming to look after Rubes and all that. I think we got there about 12:45am and our little Lola Anaïs Rock was born soon after at 3:06am on 4/7/11 in a big warm bath. I DID get the kind of birth I wanted, and we are all well and happy. Lola is a massive eater and sleeper and all has been really smooth sailing since, which is lovely. Second time around is definitely easier. Rubes has been adjusting fairly well, she started acting out early, but it's already settling down (fingers crossed), we are just giving her as much time and attention as we can - and making sure she quality has one-on-one time with me as well as DrMr (who is doing primary toddler parenting as I seem to have a baby permanently attached to my chest).

(note: Acupuncture seemed to be the ticket for me getting things moving)

YAWN

2011-06-23T21:53:00.000+10:00

Hey! I am finally on maternity leave (officially, as of today) and am in TOOLS DOWN and resting mode, which is AWESOME. I don't know what possessed me to work up to 37 weeks (this is not Georgie Love I am talking about here, but my part time day job, which is in web stuff at a University). I enjoy my job and it's no stress whatsoever, but when putting in my Mat Leave application, I certainly could not predict how freaking tired I would be. Even though I have done it before and that of course was sans toddler.

Thanks to everyone for their opinions, hints, tips and support about LABOUR. I appreciate and note points from all sides, and although unnecessary, wanted to explain a little about why I am SO KEEN to get baby 2 out a little early. Since about halfway through my preg I have had a displaced pelvis which is uncomfortable, painful and altogether unpleasant and has at times made me cry even to just walk around. I have a rad Osteopath that keeps it under check, but anyway... I have been working since day 1 for an active and natural labour and the longer the baby stays in, the more my pelvis gets mucked around, the less likely that will be. So natural labour encouraging methods it is, and I heartily believe that if she is really not ready, she won't come out, but I can TRY for the sake of the best labour outcome for all of us. This is my plan anyway, and for all of us who have had babies, we know that the best laid plans are as good as worthless! It's not just a matter of convenience.

I HAVE also been very busy trying to tidy up some final Georgie Love work, we have some GORGEOUS casual vintage pieces new online (and to celebrate, the code VINTAGE will give you 20% off any vintage piece in the whole store)

I also love the super-cute nautical themed pieces from Nevertheless. I actually bought one of the pendants before we got any in store, because I could not wait for it.

Back in stock - gorgeous earrings, brooches and pendants from Lauren Williams which always go quickly, cause frankly they are ace.

As are the scarves (and a gorgeous new skirt!) from Frankie and Ray, again, we go through a ton of these, because they are wonderfully made and perfect for winter snuggling!

Anyway, it's past my bedtime (no jokes about that, I am quite serious), so it's TIME TO SLEEP.

Where is my mind?

2011-06-09T14:51:00.004+10:00

I made a decision a while ago not to freak out or feel bad about how long it takes for me to get my butt into action to blog. I never wanted to blog out of guilt or obligation (it happens), which I am sure is a familiar feeling to all bloggers out there. I am trying to be easy on myself. I have blog ideas all the time, but thought into action is not my strongest point. I tend to sit on things too long, until they become irrelevant.

So I am 36 and a bit weeks pregnant now, which seems like quite a ridiculous amount, in my head I should be about 22 - but here I am all big and immobile. and CRANKY. Well, maybe not cranky, more vague and mmm... I forget. I am just trying to get a little bit of outstanding Georgie Love work done (new pieces online) before I declare tools down and lie patiently on the floor and wait for it all to begin.

I have decided that this baby should think about coming out at 38 weeks, so I have started acupuncture to encourage her to join the walking world... if you have any tips to encourage the onset of labour, I WOULD LOVE THEM. I will pay you handsomely in kudos and good wishes!

Your infrequent Pal,
Sal

yay and meh

2011-05-19T10:57:00.005+10:00

So I have been mostly working VERY hard getting lots of new stuff up on Georgie Love, which is you know, what I do, but I think it's been one of the biggest updates ever - since our birthday in April. Crazy. There is still more to come (isn't there always?), but I will get there soon. Bec and I are debating over who will buy this purple bunting from Pepper Stitches.

We both love bunting, who doesn't? My house is filled with it, there is even bunting in the bathroom. I think this would be perfect for a new bebe room. Which you know, doesn't exist yet, but I like to be prepared.

Other things that have been going on - our crazy neighbours threw a rat they had caught in a trap over our fence. I have had pet rodents previously, so I am not freaked out by rats, I was just very sad to find this little creature struggling for breath. DrMr was required to put it out of it's misery and bury it. We call the police on their crazy antics so much, I should be on first name basis with them all. See, it started with them accusing us of throwing stones at their house/yard/roof (this was never clarified), which of course we have never done - but even if we had, don't you think throwing poor animals over the fence is far worse? To be found by a toddler, pregnant lady and dog in the wee hours of the morning? Bah.

ANYWAY. Enough neighbour drama, we do have plans to move, once we you know have a baby and figure out where we want to live. There are a few things up in the air. I am mostly not stressed by it, it's just annoying and tiring now, and I don't like to have to explain to the Rubester about rats who come to our back door for a drink and a nap before they are going home to their families.

In good news today, pancakes for lunch! oh delicious.

Hello Mama

2011-05-10T10:51:00.007+10:00

In bad parenting news, the only thing I asked for Mother's Day was no-parenting duties for the day... and maybe some time to myself. I DID get both with a long sleep-in, plus as an ADDED MAMA BONUS pancakes and tea in bed, lunch at my favourite seafood cafe and um... you know the choice to do whatever I wanted, which did fortunately did involve mostly hanging out with my loved people in the end. Hooray! Rubes was in a little monster mood most of the day, but DrMr got to enjoy that for the large part of it. Ahhhh...

(* additional side not, if you want to amuse or depress yourself, do a google image search for bad parenting. Hours of fun)

Other than that, things are pretty good at the moment, we are kind of in a state of obsession with babies at the moment - not me so much, I am EXCITED, but kind of you know, I think I know what I am mostly in for. Ruby however is just in a baby-loving fix. She is also insisting on being the/a baby at the moment (photos above is what she thinks babies do - set up a nest for themselves on the kitchen floor, with duck toys, toy dummies and milk). I am kind of pandering to the baby games at the moment, because I am hoping if we do it enough now that she gets sick of it, by the time the new baby comes she will be ALL OVER IT, and ready to be the big sister. Right. Right? Cause that is totally how it all works. We read and re-read a whole ton of books about babies, being big sisters and what to expect, so we are covering the whole BIG SISTER side too. We have had friends visit with their tiny babies too, which is just a hyperventilation attack of excitement, so hopefully we can be as prepared as we can be.

In a side note, the most lovely Rach asked me a few questions about parenting and the like, and I answered them here.

In Georgie Love news, I have a lot on at the moment - heaps of just delightful new stuff that is waiting to go online and new stuff that IS online. I particularly love:

These brooches from Madz has Runaway. Don't tell anyone, but I have snaffled two for myself.

New THIS VERY MORNING are these gorgeous Japanese Cord Fabric Pendants from the ace Lauren Williams.

Neglectful, have a complain and then leave.

2011-05-04T11:03:00.000+10:00

So I have been away and busy working on some LIFE STUFF at the moment, I am at 30 weeks pregnant with baby's head already down and UNCOMFORTABLE, and all the relaxin hormones are working TOO well and my pelvis ligaments are TOO RELAXED and ready, which has involved some pain related CRYING while even just walking about but goodness my osteopath is worth her weight in gold. Apart from that, am healthy - baby is healthy, and the countdown is ON, so you know LET'S FOCUS ON THAT.

Plus if you have spent any time with me over the past few months, you would have heard some stories about how freaking crazy and unstable our neighbours are. The short of it is that the for a long time have accused us of throwing rocks at their house/on their roof/in their yard - I am uncertain as to which, it may be all. I can assure you though, that DrMr and I have not thrown any and if it wasn't so ridiculous and bizarre, it would be very funny. They are essentially on this intimidation and harassment campaign, which is AWESOME, and we have been remarkably restrained about the whole thing, we assure them we have never thrown anything, etc - but the guy who lives there is super creepy and has set up cameras trying to "catch us" (which he says he has footage of that I AM DYING TO SEE, but you know, he has never been able to show us BECAUSE IT DOESN'T EXIST). We have been to the police about it, who are encouraging us to get an intervention order in progress, but a little hard to enforce when they are our neighbours. We are looking at moving, but CONVENIENTLY our lease ends 2 days before I am due to give birth. MORE AWESOME.

IN THE GOOD NEWS:

DrMr and I had our first DATE NIGHT in nearly a year on Saturday which was awesome. We had a delicious dinner, went to a movie and just talked and cuddled a lot, which was so ace.

Tonight is DrMr's 3rd book launch. With wine and cheese and some very good friends attending.

Mothers Day on Sunday! I have no idea what I want or need, I am hoping for a SURPRISE. I did want Spirited Season 1 on DVD as that show was awesome and I am already very excited for Season 2.

Baby girl in the belly is healthy, her size is exactly spot on for her due date, apart from the pelvic pain, I am not having any other issues, she is active and healthy, and yes we can finally confirm it's another lady-bebe!

Ruby is happy, hilarious, in the middle of some shocking behavior, which people assure me is normal for a 2.5 year old. She is having a playdate with her "favourite boy" from daycare on Friday at our house, which she can not stop talking about. So far I believe date plans include dancing, showing him every toy that she has, and playing trains. They kiss and cuddle and hold hands ALL DAY at daycare and it's the cutest thing ever.

THINGS, but mostly HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

2011-04-13T14:04:00.001+10:00

AM CAUGHT UP IN THE TEDIUM OF LIFE STUFF at the moment and I have been trying to be positive about some tricky things that have been going on with our crazy next door neighbours and dodgy people in work environments, but sometimes it's hard to be UP all the time. Sometimes it's nice to sulk and feel sorry for yourself and eat chocolate and drink tea too, as long as you don't bore others with it. I have started writing some blogs about it all, and then I get SO BORED OF MY WORDS and find myself so FREAKING TEDIOUS that I quit before I finish. So I have been absent trying to sort all that nonsense out. Really though, we are all happy and in love and healthy, so I should focus on that. Yes?

BUT TODAY! It is finally Georgie Love's 5th Birthday and I certainly can't believe it's been 5 years, because good lord, so much good stuff has happened in 5 years. I am usually more organised with exciting things like GIVEAWAYS and FREEBIES and my favourite, HOOPLA! But instead, I am going to do something that MAKES IT COUNT for everyone, so if you would like a MASSIVE 20% off anything at Georgie Love from right now until the end of April, go ahead and use the code weare5 to make your purchase. Hooray!

And seriously, thanks to YOU whoever you are reading this, for taking an interest in a little shop called Georgie Love, a not as little nerd-lady called Sally and an old dog named Georgie who remains invested in sausage digestion. We certainly couldn't do it without our friends, support and kindness that the internet and blogging community has shown us. I do genuinely think of us as friends, y'know?

NEW NEW THINGS!

2011-03-30T14:13:00.000+11:00

I have had a horrid cough and cold type thing (to be honest DrMr and Ruby have too), so I MISSED the glorious Finders Keepers market last weekend, which did make me a little bit sad, but made my wallet quite happy - especially because we just yesterday had to spend $1000 fixing things on DrMr's car. So you know, maybe for the best. I have spent lots of time at home, cooped up and quite bored, but most of all PRODUCTIVE. SO much new stuff on Georgie Love. Here are some of my favourite things:


Vintage Crockery Necklace from birdofplay

Wooden Jewellery Tree from birdofplay

Ceramic and Sterling Silver Hello Pendant from and O design


Starry Night Brooch from and O Design

Red Origami Crane Stud Earrings from Under the Shade of a Bonsai Tree

Patchwork Doily Brooch from Under the Shade of a Bonsai Tree

So you know, LOTS of glorious and varied handmade pieces. I have to say that I am particularly fond of all of them. I have been trying (AND DOING) a massive update in time for the Georgie Birthday NUMBER 5. WHICH IS IN TWO WEEKS.

2011-03-25T11:29:00.000+11:00

Lots of lovely new pieces from Lauren Williams now available on Georgie Love. Gorgeous!

Parenting, weight, self esteem - you know, it's all lighthearted fun here

2011-03-22T12:30:00.005+11:00

Can I tell you something honestly. Me: I am probably about 30 kilos overweight. And also to be perfectly honest, I am not too stressed about it. I definitely think being overweight is a choice and if I really was bothered enough, facing serious health risks, or felt bad about myself to do something about it, I would. I know what I would have to do to lose weight, but I enjoy life, food and wine too much to really be interested in denying myself that. And also because clearly, self discipline is not my strongest forte. I accept this and the consequences. And I am aware of the consequences, I don't need schooling here.

I don't eat a lot of junk food, my favourite foods are quite seriously vegetables, I exercise every day, I have low blood pressure, no cholesterol issues, no diabetes risks... I feel good. I feel pretty happy with myself for the most part. I mean pregnant, I feel quite heifer-like, but these are extraordinary circumstance. I feel like I will be a good role model for my daughter/s. (not saying that baby 2 is a girl yet, we honestly don't know). We eat well, we are active and I am desperately trying not to share any inherited food issues. I think there needs to be an emphasis on healthy, versus skinny. DrMr is naturally skinny, but with a preference for junk food, which I think is probably worse, but we both love the "good life".

See my mother was never really overweight, but she struggled with her weight and being comfortable with herself her whole life - I doubt she is there yet.. She was also terribly ashamed of having two overweight daughters, and I remember being conscious about my weight and understanding that I was on a diet, from about the age of 4, which filled me with a lot of self loathing all through my teen years as I was clearly a disappointment to her and "not the kind of daughter she wanted". But I also know that a lot of my food attitudes are inherited from her - food as reward, food as comfort, secret eating, denying and rewarding. My older sister was usually always a lot more overweight than me and my mother would always comment on how unhealthy and unhappy she obviously she was, point things out about her appearance, and I implicitly knew from a young age that overweight people were gross and it was a good thing that I wasn't as bad as that. It was a competitive environment, and I would feel superior: well I may be a bit fat and ugly, but at least I don't look like that.

Breakfast at our house. Oh, I kid, I kid.

Having one daughter and possibly another, I am so concious of not creating a competitive environment, passing along inherited food issues and making them feel bad about their appearance - ever. I am a strong person, between having a mother who was food and fat obsessed and a father who told me I was plain without make-up, I think I have pretty good self esteem and a healthy view point as an adult. My upbringing also makes me hyper-aware of the affect that a parent's words and approval have on their kids.

I was talking to DrMr in the car the other day and asking him how do you explain what fat and thin is as a concept, without using body types as an example. It's rampant. I don't want Ruby to look at anyone and judge them on how they look, versus what they are like as a person, but unless we start taking an interest in an Amish lifestyle and cloister ourselves away, it is not something I am going to be able to 100% influence. I would love to be a person who didn't judge anyone, but of course we do - we will drive in the car and laugh at a Harry High-pants old man, or giggle at some particularly unfortunate ensembles. THAT is the part of myself that makes me feel ugly, a part that I wish I was better and above. I don't ever want to put another person down to make myself feel better, worse still - that Ruby thinks it's ok to do.

As parents, how do you approach this? Is it something that is on your radar in the way you parent and the decisions you make?

I am so very interesting

2011-03-22T10:25:00.000+11:00

Do you know when I blog, like at about 10 or 11 pm when I can't sleep and my mind if full of all the random things I am thinking of and then I write all these INCREDIBLY thoughtful, impressive and witty pieces in my head that are then gone by the time I wake up in the morning.

It's a shame.

Other than that, I have been busy hanging out with the toddler, complaining about the humidity and hayfever, making cardboard boats out of boxes, eating roast vegetables tossed with meredith feta (seriously, my favourite and my best meal in the universe) and wondering why 24 weeks pregnant feels like about 34 this time around.

Bec and I have also been busy talking to some new people for Georgie Love, which is EXCITING. We haven't done an update as big as the one planned in QUITE SOME TIME.

A great new hobby for DrMr and me...

2011-03-16T14:41:00.000+11:00

Pity it's already been done - a couple re-creating Mills and Boon covers.

"Sometimes we sit for hours staring at a sea shell. Other times he'll hold me by the neck in front of the Pyramids. But there's nothing we like more than NEARLY kissing each other near some horses. I always try to look hot in front of him so he doesn't leave me"

That's US, EXACTLY.

DISCOUNTS and WINNERS

2011-03-15T10:38:00.000+11:00

Ok, so I thought Georgie Love's birthday was this month, but it may actually be NEXT month, so clearly pregnancy is rendering me stupid. Still, having a month to think and plan to do something (MAYBE) is good. I have some ideas, I ALWAYS have some ideas, but we will see how we go translating that into actual ACTION. I feel useless at the moment.. .or maybe distracted is a better word.

ANYWAY, DUE TO MY ERROR, the code FORGETFUL will give YOU 15% off anything you like at Georgie Love.

ALSO, the winner of the scarf is the lovely AMY from Life with Soul. Yay! Amy, if you could get in touch with your fave scarf and address, I will get this out to you quick smart. :-) Well, definitely before the next cold snap anyway. Yay!

Blind man with a blind guide dog...

2011-03-11T16:09:00.000+11:00

If this story doesn't make you go AWWW... and make you feel a little happier and smooshy inside, then I am not sure we can be friends anymore.

ALSO, IT'S THE WEEKEND PEOPLE and Rubes is in the midst of her Friday-post-3-consecutive-days-at-daycare 4 hour nap. We usually have very quiet and lazy days, but we do have a Friday morning tradition of spending time together having a babycino at a local cafe. Today they gave us 5 marshmallows each, which is ridiculous.

But happy making for a 2 1/2 year old. She told me today before we left that she was going to eat 4 marshmallows today (indicating that she would be stealing mine too), but the cafe staff thought we needed a sugar hit obviously. The perfect thing for a pregnant lady and a toddler : SUGAR. Ahem.

This is only half as bad as how she looked at the end of it. But LOOK AT ALL THE SUGAR-INDUCED JOY. I love this time with her every week, after a few days apart. I really look forward to it.

Once a week. We can deal with the sugar fallout!

Don't forget, you have TWO more days to enter the Frankie and Ray scarflet giveaway. Don't worry if your favourite colour is gone, as I have 5 more up my sleeve (and by my sleeve, I mean waiting at Bec's house to be photographed by me and put online).

Also new this week: a big new range of Pearl and Elspeth vintage fabric skirts. These sell out super fast when I have them in (in the past 24 or so hours, two have already gone). They are ace and the new range is all in the most Autumny perfect colours and weights.

Other than that, I am going to try and get to the craft hatch market this weekend. Rubes sleeps from like midday till about 3 usually, which makes getting anywhere to do ANYTHING kind of tricky for us (and I have 10:30 am yoga classes both weekend days, which I am loathe to miss). I DO want to check out this one, as I have been wanting a Teddybears Wednesday softie for the unborn bebe for a while (and I have my eye on you Frank) and check out the lovely Joey Nomad pieces too.

If I am lax at saying hello, please understand that I am RIDICULOUSLY SHY and AWKWARD and feel like a tool pointing myself out in public, but I will be the one wrangling sticky toddler fingers off of everything, and holding hands with a bemused and beardy DrMr. Whatever you are doing, may it be MOST EXCELLENT. And remember:

via http://www.adteachings.com/

The muppet is awake, till NEXT TIME.

It's Been Forever, but.... GIVEYAY!

2011-03-08T10:56:00.001+11:00

I haven't done a giveaway in forever. And actually, it's very, very close to Georgie Love's official 5th birthday and I haven't done a thing in preparation to celebrate as we have been distracted with lots of other life stuff, so I need to get on to that PRONTO. Cause it's like days away and my head is you know, still stuck somewhere in December 2010.

Anyway, I for one am very happy that it is AUTUMN, the days are warm and sunny, the nights are cool and easy to sleep in... and everything just feels a little cooler and crisper. It's just a beautiful time of year and it already feels like we are having a proper SEASON, unlike Summer, which was just a journey to crazy town. To celebrate the onset of the new season, we have a giveaway from one of our very favourite people, not just from Georgie Love, but life in general. I think of her as a friend. Jo is the loveliest of ladies and if you see her at a market, DEFINITELY go up and say hello as she is just ace. She will be at the Melbourne Finders Keepers later this month (which we will not this time around), so go and see her for some not-available-anywhere-else specials.

We are giving away one of her signature, pure wool scarflets, which are just the most perfect thing to keep your neck snug over the cooler months. These are always EXTREMELY popular and sell very quickly and we have just got 4 newies in stock (and I have asked for more to follow) and we would love to be able to give ONE to YOU. Just pick your favourite one, leave a comment and the randomiser will choose someone on the evening of 13 March 2011 to be the winner.

conclusions

2011-03-03T07:36:00.002+11:00

I want to say a big thank you to everyone who expressed their views (and hopefully will continue to do so) about the Made in Australia issue that I have been blogging about over the past few days. I originally blogged about it because I was genuinely surprised that Nancybird didn't manufacture in Australia and I was curious in general whether this sort of information encouraged or dissuaded people to buy a product - any product. It's definitely a complex and massive issue and obviously one that is not going to be resolved by this blog or anytime soon. I certainly didn't intend to try and resolve it - it was something that has been on my mind for a couple of weeks, and the blog is a place where I like to talk about these things sometimes, get feedback - have my opinions challenged and opposed. It's important to me, because I like to think and I definitely like to be informed.

I am also really glad that Emily took the time to respond - she is clearly extraordinarily passionate about her business, and is invested in running an ethical and sustainable design business. I really do wish the best for her as I have always loved what Nancybird have created.

I am genuinely not trying to persuade anyone to either support or boycott the label, of course we should support local designers and small Australian industry, but I think we do need to be informed to make the right decision for ourselves. My Georgie partner Bec, who discovered the label in her bag and was as disappointed as I am has actually changed her mind with the conversations we have been having. Having visited Hong Kong earlier this year and viewed some terrible conditions, she is quite passionate about this issue. I hope she doesn't mind me repeating our conversation, but her viewpoint is:

I think nancybird is back on my list of shops okay to shop at. and this is why:

Emily is clearly passionate and has made decisions based on what she feels is ethical and fair. throughout her email, she struck me as honest and i believe that she would not allow practices like those we associate with 99% of the products out of china to be associated with her brand. because of course money is important, but so are her ethics. ROCK ON NANCYBIRD, via Emily.

I think this is great and this is the point of debate and discussions - people have to do what they are comfortable with. As for me, I am not so sure at the moment. There is clearly a Nancybird bag that I am currently have a passionate long distance affair with, but I think first I would try and purchase something I know is made locally first .

Response from Nancybird

2011-03-02T16:23:00.000+11:00

This morning I received a response from the owner of Nancybird, Emily Wright. In the spirit of openness and fairness, I wanted to post it here for you to read if interested, and my response to Emily is also included below. It is long from both of us, so I apologise - but interesting if it is an issue that concerns you.
_______________________

Hi Sally,

I read your blog post last night about my label nancybird, and wanted to write back to you today.

I think you raise really important, complex issues. They are things that I've thought about extensively, and have made considered decisions about along the way in my business.

I'd be happy for you to add this email in part or in full into your blog post if you like as a right of reply, or if you'd like to just read this for your own information, this is ok too.

I do have an issue with the link you have added regarding working conditions in China in your blog. I feel this is a little unfair - I would be happy to explain and show images of the small factory stitching our items, but I don't agree with Nancybird being linked to that article. Those conditions are CERTAINLY not the case for us, I work very closely with one factory, as I have over the past 4 years, and I can vouch for the good working conditions of the physical space and workers entitlements (sick pay, overtime, accident insurance).

The area around Hong Kong (Guandong province) is now a highly regulated place (although there will always be exceptions, as there are in every country including Australia), and the factory we use is small (about 60 people there), has been there for about 25 years, always run by the couple George and Lotus.

We now on all our swing tags (since we updated our swing tags last season) have a summary of where materials come from and where they are produced. We also have more detailed information here - http://nancybird.com/about/origin-2/ on each element of the range.

We print all of our outer fabrics locally. Ink and Spindle do all our screen printing. They are our designs - it's mostly me who designs these, but I've also had another friendly textile designer design some prints for me - Andrea Shaw. She's also designed our last few linings too. We also produce all our digital print fabrics here. I design every single item that we make, always. One day in the future I might get some help with this, but at the moment, and up until now, that's how it's been.

I own the business, I have no backers, no outside funding, no-one but me (and the people that work here, all 4 of us!) making decisions.

We love using really great, quality materials, and want to produce a really well designed, interesting, thoughtful product, and I feel we pretty much do this with each range.

I'm afraid this letter may become too lengthy, so please forgive me if I skip forward or simplify a little.

I started by making everything myself - prints, cutting sewing etc etc. The question for me became - where do you go beyond designer maker?

I think handmade things, things produced and designed by artisans and designers are hugely important. I think it's a great movement, that focus back on the handmade, and something that has definitely grown in the time since I began my label around 9 years ago.

But what do you do if you want to move that into something a bit larger? If there's a local industry there, that is ideal. There are still some producers sewing fabric based products. Producers of leather goods are much, much harder to find.

The other issue I found is people wanting locally produced things, but often not prepared to pay for it. Would you pay $800 for one of my bags? Even if it was possible to make and find makers locally to produce it... It becomes then a product that most people couldn't afford.

Other people, such as the lovely Jarren from the label Temono have made it work for him by producing it basically himself with an extra pair of hands or two, which is amazing. I know he still battles with educating people on the price of his product. I've had lots of great chats with Jarren about producing locally, and the issues we've both had along the way.

My decision to look offshore was certainly not taken lightly. The manufacturers that I eventually found are really amazing. They had, and have, the skills for the detailed work that we do. They have the machines needed to produce our work - special sewing machines for different parts of a bag or wallet. In saying that, a surprising amount is handmade - all the woven straps are done by hand (I have a great video of the ladies weaving our straps), our wallets often have little hand stitched elements too, and many parts of making are hand formed or pressed.

I wasn't sure if your post was more about us stitching our bags in China, or the perception that you had that we were wholly made in Australia.

We certainly do promote the parts that we've kept here - I am really proud that I can use local printers. I am really proud that I design everything. I am inspired by my local surroundings, and this is reflected in my work.

We definitely talk this up, no doubt about that. I also love that I don't automatically go for a Scandinavian motif, that I prefer to use something that feels more Australian, like using a local plant to feature instead.

I feel that we explain our origins pretty clearly. The website is where we have the most space to explain it all, and it can be found in pretty detailed form there, and our swing tags details origin too.

Just as a side note too, we are also working on other projects (a little early to let on about it!) with local artists and an environmental group based in Australia, donating part of the profits to them. It's an exciting project for next season.

Anyway. I hope this explains some more about our business. I really appreciate being given the chance to respond.

If you would like any further information please don't hesitate to get in touch with us.

All the best,

Emily

__________________________________

Hi Emily,

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond to me and my concerns - I was eager to hear your thoughts and reasoning on the topic and will be posting your reply on my blog later today.

I certainly did not intend to offend you or Nancybird in any way - as a genuine fan of your label, I was taken aback to discover that the bags were made (stitched) in China as I was under the impression that it was wholly manufactured in Australia. I was surprised and disappointed to find out it wasn't, but I do think it's commendable and reassuring that you are forthright about where and how your products are made. I wrote the blog entry more as a launching pad for discussion - whether the country of manufacture does or does not influence people's decisions making when buying products. I was trying to work through how I felt, as it was on my mind (I have been tossing up buying the Brentford Bag for a number of weeks, since I first saw it previewed in your newsletter at the start of Feb).

I own and run a website that sells and promotes handmade products that are designed and produced locally. It is something I am passionate about, so obviously I am quite invested and interested in this issue. We have so many talented people and quality products being made here, that I love to see that supported as much as possible, and that independent makers are able to support themselves doing so. I do however also think it's incredibly difficult these days to isolate items that are wholly Australian made - fabrics, zips and buttons(etc) are printed overseas and imported and then used to make an item here. I really don't know where that line is drawn - it's a complex issue and one I didn't and couldn't resolve in a singular blog post. Certainly as I was trying to highlight that I don't know what all my feelings are on the issue either.

I am just generally concerned as a consumer that cheaper labor is being used in a country that is well-known to have unethical practices. Even if the factories used offer significantly better conditioned than the notoriously inhumane places, we are still financing the cause and the government that supports those conditions.

I don't think there is an answer to any of this - if we stopped manufacturing in China and in other countries with unethical conditions, prices would sky rocket and their economy would collapse, not to mention the impact on everyday families trying to feed and clothe themselves. There is no easy answer and I certainly don't have the solution. As such, I need to make informed choices where I can that sit well with me in my role as a consumer.

Thanks again and all the best
Sally

Breaking up with old flames

2011-03-01T16:16:00.001+11:00

Yep, that's my bag

So. I have been on the hunt for the perfect handbag. I have a Nancybird Bag which was/is my every day one, but it's kind of got a narrow opening which means rummaging through it in a hurry (which I do on multiple occasions every day) ca take me too long to find anything. So I have spent literally HOURS looking at bags trying to find the next perfect bag to take everywhere. I have searched etsy, madeit, Australian stores... everything (usually late at night in bed). I support handmade items and Australian-made industry so I do take those factors into consideration as much as I can before a purchase. And not everywhere is forthcoming about where their materials are produced - materials sourced locally does not mean an item is produced locally.

I have quite the collection of Nicola Cerini bags, which I have always liked and I know they are made here in Australia - and the price reflects that. They are practically made from the highest quality materials and just last and last. I have friends who have worked closely with Nicola for a number of years and have been lucky to visit her gorgeous studio a number of times and can vouch for a wonderfully made, locally produced product.

So back to my bag search, I am absolutely in love with this stunning bag from the new Nancybird range. IN LOVE WITH IT.

JUST LOOK at it. It's just so beautiful (more than anything else, I do love a good bag). I have always loved Nancybird and have several of their bags.Their leather is the softest you could feel and is Italian produced and they use local Australian designers for their fabrics (which is also often hand printed locally). They are beautiful and good lord do I covet this bag. I was even tempted to save up my pocket money properly and buy it. It's $365. I have had the opportunity to buy them wholesale from industry fairs, but I did not think I could wait for it.

Click me big to read tag

But see despite that in all of it's luscious beautifulness, it's made in China. My Georgie partner Bec found this tag in one of her Nancybird bags and she refuses to buy another. For the price and "Australianness' of the brand, this is disappointing to me. I have always thought I have been buying and supporting Australian owned and made items. I would love to be absolutely wrong about this, so if anyone at Nancybird wants to tell me that I am wrong, then I would gladly listen and amend this.

Look, this isn't meant to come across as a harsh critique, because I am in two minds and the bag absolutely CALLS TO ME IN MY SLEEP, but I am curious about other people's opinions and ideas. Does discovering this sort of thing disuade you from making a purchase? Does it influence your decision making at all?

I think un-ideal manufacturing conditions is almost inevitable and I try and make informed decisions as much as I can, but I think I also almost subconsciously have a what I don't know, won't hurt me mentality about it all, which is not something that I am exceptionally proud about.

Design Secrets

2011-02-28T08:36:00.001+11:00

Man, I love how Ruby wakes me up from 5-6:30 (we are trying to break a middle of the night milk habit, as well as getting her accustomed to staying in bed until 7), and then falls back asleep when I would happily get up, as DrMr is up and turning lights and noisy things on around the house. But no, it's now past 8am and she is asleep and I am a cranky zombie.

Our "weekender".

So like most of you, I am a fan of The Design Files and love (in a masochistic way) checking out all the magnificently designed and decorated feature homes that pop up from time to time. There are so many creative and inspired people out there. I have oft planned to do one in my blog as a kind of parody with my house. The toys stacked everywhere, the books featured magnificently in our fantastic furniture book shelf, the baskets of unsorted washing in each bedroom (2 in the adults, 1 in the childs), the mismatched child-themed placemats on our ugly 1980s wooden dining table that even guests are forced to use. The foofs of dog hair in corners, the weeds in the garden that are taller than me. Cause you know, if we are one thing, it's definitely fancy. We be fancy folk. I am typing from bed and drinking tea, and noticing that the original 1950s blinds are actually repaired with brown duct tape (not our handiwork).

The family relaxing in our naturally stylish and architecturally designed environment. The jeans on the bed are placed to be an ironic comment about contemporary family living and the everday working class mother's statement regarding "shortages of time".

So last night I was overwhelmed, set in a panic and laughing that hysterical and shocked laughter when I discovered that a fairly massive international design blog would "love to consider my home" for a spot on their site. They often have the most delectable homes in Paris, New York, Barcelona etc on display. Yep. We currently live in a rental property in Blackburn. It's certainly not you know. Classy. I am a person who likes to say yes to everything, no matter how humiliating, so I am awaiting more information. I note that they do word the email "would love to consider your home"... which means that once they do see the duct tape blinds, cranky owl chalkboard declaring "what the f*&k is for dinner?", and "hard rubbish inspired" furniture, they can politely decline.

Our creative use of space. We like to play with the idea of post-modern design minimalism. I have actually put the play house away for the moment, as it was driving me insane. And summer was not the time to be sitting in a tiny plastic house.

Advice from Cartoon Princesses

2011-02-22T10:23:00.001+11:00

DrMr doesn't quite understand why I am not super-keen (read: desperately loathing of) on the cult of pink princesses entering our house - we don't watch/read any princess stories and yet Ruby is still already excited to see princess yoghurt or soap. Hmmm.

These were sent to me by a friend at work and fellow toddler parent. There is also Snow White and Belle from Beauty and the Beast.

2011-02-21T14:41:00.001+11:00

SO our sonographer/radiologist (who are those people again?) in our 20 week scan today said when asked "I think it may be a girl... and that is all I am saying on the matter" and then he left the room. So we may be having another girl. It's just that no one is sure - let alone us, or the sonographer guy who didn't take the opportunity to have a proper look. Damnit. Baby is healthy and ace though.

Just deciding if I have it in me to pay $110 for a second look. Cause surely we will have another scan at some point in this baby making business?

Car Music

2011-02-18T11:44:00.000+11:00

I am getting a little tired of our usual kid's music in the car, fortunately Rubes understands about taking turns, so we listen to a cd of hers, and then a cd of mine. For her we have a few things covered - all 3 Justine Clarke cds, a couple of Yo Gabba Gabba soundtracks, a Charlie and Lola soundtrack, the Waybuloo soundtrack (which is beyond hellish, it's awful), and one or two others I have seemed to blocked out. What do you listen to? We need something new. I have downloaded some sweet ones from itunes, but they are a little too twee - even for me and Rubes won't have a bar of them.

Rubes is obsessed with this song by Laura Marling though - we all love her. She likes to sing along (without really knowing the words), but feels a little self conscious about it, if I turn to smile at her while it's on, she will cover her eyes and say "go away Mummy!". BUT if you have never heard a two year old attempt a falsetto... well, you are certainly missing out on one of the most joyfully sweet and hilarious things in the whole world.

Copycats

2011-02-17T14:37:00.000+11:00

Man, it never ends. I have blogged before about how much I loved the fairy doors I have seen (and bought) over the years from Monkeytail and Wellington, who unfortunately have now closed the doors on their online store earlier this year, but you can still find their gorgeous doors from their new store on etsy.
(I have to point out that I do not know the makers either!)

I was quite disturbed to see yesterday on a madeit newsletter, an almost identical product. These doors are also gorgeous. The door designs are a little different, but the photography is a complete rip-off as is the descriptions they used to described their product.. If you didn't know that Monkeytail and Wellington (an Australian brand also) existed, you would probably not know about the complete dodginess of it all.

The whole thing depresses me terribly and I hate seeing something pop-up, so closely inspired by, if not completely copying an existing maker. We have all seen it before and obviously it happens far too frequently - it's like there is a dearth of creative minds or originality. I personally am of the belief that copycats do not prosper - they can't - they lack the creativity and dynamism to progress and flourish.

To be honest, there are parts of being an online handmade retailer that I don't enjoy - and this is one of them. Georgie Love is and has always been a labour of love and passion - it's goal was never to make oodles of money (cause lordy, I certainly don't), but to support, encourage and promote handmade makers in Australia, which I remain committed to. The community and market has changed though - it's certainly bigger and a lot more people are having a hand in making and trying to run a successful creative business, which is wonderful. There are creative, talented people getting the recognition and support they deserve, I am wholeheartedly for all for that.

It is not however as fun and rewarding as it used to be - people's motivations have changed, people are less nice perhaps or maybe more cynical. There is less joy in the art of simply making. Or maybe I am more cynical, having seen so much change and a fair bit of ugliness. I don't know what the solution is.

THINGS NOW AVAILABLE ON GEORGIE LOVE

2011-02-17T13:45:00.000+11:00

I have been terribly slack with this, but I recently got a new range of some fantastic new, immaculate condition vintage pieces from my best matey Erin. This 1950-60 Mad Men style dress is a particular fave and the colour is just gorgeous.

Vintage baby wear, just a few pieces pop up now and then!

And also for the smallest people in your life - a big range of handmade felt food to get your little master chefs inspired! From the cutely named Felt Like Playtime!

2011-02-17T13:37:00.000+11:00

In toddler news... my kid has a pretty impressive vocabulary for a 27 month old. It's convenient being able to have a conversation and get a legible response. However, I have also noticed that the more words she can say, the more things she can ask for, and it just doesn't stop. EVER.

Ruby: "Mummy, I need money in my wallet"
Me: "What are you going to buy with your money?"
Ruby: "I am going to the Op Shop to buy toys for Ruby Rock and then I am going to the comic book shop".

Random Things she has asked for in the past week:

1. "I want a pony Mummy, please".
2. "I want a beard"
3. "I want an ocean"
4. I want a robot"
5. "I want a lawn"
6. "I want a car"

2011-02-16T15:21:00.000+11:00

I hadn't realised that I had not blogged in such a long time. I guess because mainly there is not much news to tell, I have been feeling busy but without doing a lot of stuff. It's crazy how much the every day just working, living, loving, parenting, house and pet stuff can fill in your time. Plus with baby 2 baking nicely away, that's starting to tire me out.It's mostly been an easy run, after a hideous first 13 weeks, for the past few since then I barely felt pregnant (apart from regular kicks, thank goodness) - just the past few days I am starting to get that indigestion loveliness, trouble sleeping, breathlessness and sort of general awareness of a change in shape and balance. We find out the flavour at our 20 week scan on Monday. Have to say, pretty excited about that.

It's hard rubbish in our area and I am again amazed with the rubbish from our front lawn that people have taken. In the last one, people took a horrible old fly swatter (belonging to previous owners) and a knotted up wind chime, which astounded me. THIS ROUND, people have snatched up:

1. our old mattress. Even though we are nice and clean people, still *SHUDDER*.
2. 3 of the mouldiest and most revolting dog bowls that you have ever seen. I mean seriously there was like 5 different coloured moulds in there.
3. an old pram that dwelled in our old rat infested garage, it most likely had rat poo on it somewhere
4. a broken toy pram
5. a coffee table without the legs

I DID however pick up - a bigger fish tank and filter, our fishies have outgrown their tank, a Kenwood Chef Mixer - I work with an IT/electronics guy and I can hear him whizzing it up and rchecking it out in out lab, and a ride on car toy for Rubes. Which will add to the collection of bikes and trikes that I have picked up in hard rubbish previously, which are clearly successfully breeding in the back yard.

ALSO, I burnt the buggery out of my saucepan making broccoli soup, does anyone have a remedy that actually works?

An Exquisitely Beautiful Tale of Life, Love and Death

2011-01-27T07:51:00.000+11:00

UN TOUR DE MANEGE from alexis liddell on Vimeo.

(thanks to all the ladies for their supportive comments from my last plus - plus sharing the candid birth stories, it was wonderful to read)

ranty pants

2011-01-21T10:50:00.000+11:00

Ok, let me tell you about some things I am passionate about: parenting to the best of my ability, feminism, building people up instead of tearing them down, loving my partner well, and creating positive opportunities for people. I want Ruby to be a strong minded, confident woman, who doesn't look to others for cues on her appearance or self esteem. We are conscious of telling Ruby equally how smart and funny, as well as beautiful she is. I want to lead by example, which is the hardest - when raised by critical female role models - I want better for her. I want better for myself and it's a constant ongoing process of change and growth.

So I have been reading with great interest and concern the different responses to Miranda Kerr's personal birth announcement. Women who are tearing a new mother down, saying she's not all that, that she is smug, competitive and judgemental. Um, so what you are saying about her ISN'T judgemental and a little mean spirited? I think people forget that when a woman gives birth people are pushing for the following information:

1. gender
2. name
3. how the birth was
4. and if you are close/or they are intrusive, questions about tearing, stitches and breastfeeding.

You know what, I saw a beautiful picture of a new mother (could have been any woman) and it made me all gooey and teary. She was proud of giving birth and her beautiful son, but what new mother ISN'T proud after having a child, whether it be through their vagina, or through a c-section? A woman doesn't go through 9 months of preparation and then go "yeah, I went to the hospital and they pulled this THING out of me, lord knows what I am going to do with it, certainly doesn't match our interior design choices". Nearly every new mother is proud of the new life they have created, exhausted, joyful and in the process of falling madly in love with this new person.

Ok, so I posted the other day about preparing (mentally and physically) for an unmedicated birth. I had one with Ruby, and I want to create the same opportunity for this new unborn babe. For me, it's the right choice but a part of it is also that I am TERRIFIED of having a needle in my spine - that frightens me more than the pain of childbirth. I have these (possibly irrational) fears of being the 1 in a 1,000,000 that ends up paralysed or with a long lasting spinal headache. Also with having a 2 year old, I want to be back on my feet as soon as possible after having a baby and ready to get into the challenge of parenting 2 children.

Can I also tell you - I really don't mind how you give birth and I don't need your approval or judgement on my choices. I wrote about it the other day because it was on my mind and it's something that is going on in my life at the moment, in the same vein of everything I write about. What I do VERY much care about is that you and I are well, healthy and with a beautiful healthy and happy baby at the end of our pregnancies This is the goal for every new mother and it really doesn't matter what path you take to get there - make the right choice for you and support other women who have made the right decision for them.

Man, is this topic a minefield.

My point is can we ladies please be a little nicer to each other? Support another woman's decisions and get on each other's cheer team? Look at a picture and see an ecstatic new mother in an intimate moment with her partner and new baby and see the joy in it, not the way it makes us feel with all our baggage and bullshit. We need a little more happy in the world, so let's all individually bring it.

Meanwhile, as I am writing this, Ruby has been having a major tantrum on the floor because she wants raspberry yoghurt and we only have raspberry and strawberry combined. Seriously, I am going to have another??

this is the cutest

2011-01-20T13:46:00.002+11:00

She & Him - Don't Look Back from Merge Records on Vimeo.

Generic updaties

2011-01-19T13:59:00.004+11:00

OK, to begin with GEORGIE LOVE WILL BE DONATING 15% OF PROFITS FOR JANUARY TO THE QLD FLOOD RELIEF. I wanted to donate some stuff to an auction, but I haven't found the right one yet.

Mark Ryden of course.

We are otherwise continuing to take things quietly at the moment, had a bit of a freak out at the reminder that in 6 months I will be GIVING BIRTH which while beautiful, magical and definitely miraculous, it's also... um (for those who haven't experienced that bliss before) uncomfortable. I feel better after my first appointment at our chosen hospital and being approved for a know-your-midwife approved care (same carer throughout preg and birth and follow-up care), but I am hoping for a non-medicated birth as a choice for me and my family... so... you know suck it up Sally. You better believe that my evenings are filled with a significant number of yoga and pilates classes in a week. Pelvic floor exercises are go!

After the hospital appointments, the start of some little baby kicks being felt over the past week or so, and making the booking for our next scan so we can find out if it's pink or blue at our house (we have a feeling, but definitely want to know for sure!) it's all starting to feel quite real. No cravings yet, apart from pancakes, but I can't really call those a craving, I can only call it "Wednesday".

We are already planning those first few sleepless weeks. Going to keep Rubes in daycare for 3 days a week while I am maternity leave, we are lucky to be in a community co-op which she loves, and has had the same carers and kids to play with for the last 18 months, so I think keeping her in her routine with that regular stimulation and time away from exhausted parents and a screaming newborn is a great thing. And if I can get over my maternal guilt for the first 8 weeks, we may see if we can do 4 days.

Speaking of maternal guilt... THINGS I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD SUCCUMB TO AS A PARENT:

1. pre-made sauces
2. packet mix cakes

In order to explain that 1) DrMr is ridiculously cute in that he gets excited that he can add "cooking Thai" to his menu, which involves cutting up chicken, adding frozen vegies and a bottle of green curry thai sauce. I grew up thinking that premade meals were pretty much FROM THE DEVIL, but you know - we are busy working parents and thanks to them when we occasionally use them, we eat something other than toast or porridge.

2) DrMr actually prefers the taste of premade cakes to the ones I make. Probably mostly cause I make cakes he doesn't like (banana, carrot and a really odd-tasting zucchini one the other day). Rubes loves to bake (lick the bowl), so it's super east to get her involved.

Rubes meanwhile insists that men do not have a penis or testicles, they in fact carry their poos to their front, and obviously in their pants. DrMr is perturbed by the idea that his child believes he keeps poo in his pants all day. She refuses to hear otherwise. She was wearing a plastic gold beaded necklace around her tummy the other day, with a longer section hanging down in between her legs. "look Mummy! Look at my poos! Gold poos!".

That photo above illustrates one of the happiest days in Rubes life - the three of us got to ride on Thomas the Tank engine through our local shopping centre last weekend (yes, she is kissing him). As adults, people came up after the ride was over and actively mocked us after seeing us on it. People, people please - obviously you have no idea of how willing I am to humiliate myself.for the sake of entertaining my child.I LEARNED and regularly PERFORMED (with red blanket) the iggle piggle dance to entertain her.

Fortunately, now as a mature 2 year old who has grown out of her iggle piggle obsession and is instead fascinated by Charlie and Lola and all I have had to do now is learn how to make pink milk (our recipe : milk, strawberries, dash of pure maple syrup).

Hell and high water.

2011-01-12T09:41:00.000+11:00

I can't stop reading the news about the floods. One of my oldest friends lives in Brisbane and I always assumed they would be safe, but they spent the afternoon stocking up on candles and torch batteries, formulating plans if their house was flooded, that they would be ok with 2 meters and any more would mean their house would be destroyed and you know, they know that they need to get on the roof if it gets worse than that with their 18 month old daughter and 2 dogs. She was just hoping her partner got home from work in the CBD before the river broke and they would be separated. I think that is the thing that affected me the most, when watching the coverage on just about every station last night - imagining waiting on a roof, with DrMr, Ruby and Georgie. Trying to explain to a terrified and wet 2 year old that we couldn't go inside because it was wet and unsafe, and that we would have to sit in the pouring rain, waiting to be rescued, when help was unable to get to us because of the terrible weather. And just waiting.

It breaks my heart. Donate if you can. We are looking for a way for Georgie Love to contribute and will have some ideas soon.

2011-01-11T10:47:00.000+11:00

BELATEDLY, I wanted to say a really, really big thank you for all the well wishes for bebe number 2. Am starting to feel a lot more human in this second trimester, which you know, helps with the overall doing of stuff. My belly popped in the past few days and now I look about 5 months pregnant, which you know is awesome. UGH.

I can't actually get motivated to do anything. I was feeling pretty rotten until recently, so when Rubes went down for her nap (which is a minimum of 2 hours, sometimes 4), I would hope straight into bed and sleep or read a book or just rest. It's AWESOME and I CAN'T STOP. So unlike my beautiful crazypants Rubes, I am predicting this bebe will be the most chilled out, relaxed human in existence,

Explained absences

2011-01-04T16:06:00.000+11:00

Baby number 2 is due mid July. THANK GOODNESS this first trimester is over, because seriously the morning sickness was awful and I have mostly been antisocial and hermity for 13 weeks. Starting to come out of that funk and feeling like a normal human being again. With a compulsive need for pancakes, a whippersnipper and more cupboard space.

2011-01-04T15:56:00.000+11:00

How are you fairing post Christmas and New Years? We are still living in toy town, can barely move for all the toys in the house, plus Rubes is obsessed with stickers, so there are stickers EVERYWHERE - lots of random Charlie and Lola pieces here and there. There was a Sizzles the Dog sticker stuck on the floor next to the dining table for about 4 days before I caved and peeled it off. If you sit on the couch too long, you might find a scrap of about 50 different things stuck to your leg.

We are still all in holiday mode.

STILL trying to figure out where all the Christmas toys are going to fit. It's not even like a tetris game, everything is just kind of crammed in and shifted as needs change in the living room.

No one is putting the washing away, if you want clean clothes, just grab something out of the basket (actually, this is a farce and I can't really claim that this is a holiday thing).

My 2011 resolution is (and DrMr's too, coincidentally) is to learn to cook more. Food is such a drama in our house, but we both want to learn how to cook more things - and more things we BOTH like. We need inspiration and a wider rotating menu.

I also need to learn how to ice freaking cupcakes. I am clearly no Masterchef.

HAPPY HAPPY EVERYTHING.

2010-12-31T11:24:00.000+11:00

So I am sitting here literally wiping tears away at a video of people getting puppies for Christmas. Which is ridiculous, but I love Christmas and buying presents and can't wait to see that excitement on Rube's face when we buy her something big and unexpected one day. DrMr is teasing me, but he knows I am sap about those sorts of things.

We have been back from DrMr's parents for Christmas for a few days now - I have been terribly lax with everything, lots of napping, trips to the beach, watching Charlie and Lola in bed with Rubes and eating breakfast, yummy fish lunches in cafes, lemon sorbet... You know. Just a wonderful and relaxing time which we all needed in the crazy and hectic lead up to Christmas. Even Ruby is tired. She has always been a great sleeper, but is napping for 3-4 hours a day, which as parents - is bliss! If you are feeling jealous that my kid sleeps and yours refuses to nap and still wakes through the night - take heart, my kid refuses to eat and feeding her is the bane of my existence. If it's not one thing it's the other - cooking in our house is something we both dread (plus DrMr and I like REALLY different food, so neither of us enjoys cooking for the other). All she will eat is yoghurt, crackers and dip, cheese, sometimes bread, sometimes cereal (if it is someone else's breakfast), mince meat, sometimes spaghetti and mash. Oh but has no problem with the occasional ice cream or cookie or freddo frog, obviously. She would still live on milk, which we restrict to before bed, cause she fills up on it all day. At daycare she will eat everything the other kids eat, but at home - nightmare. We try not to make it a stress, if she doesn't eat, fine, we don't force it. But JEEEZ. Have a freaking strawberry kid.

It's 40 degrees (over 100F for those Northerly) so it's HOT today, we are deciding which beach to visit once Rubes wakes up from her mega-nap. Our usual NYE involves food, crappy tv and early nights (it's actually like most nights for us, to be honest), but we will have a special day today so that makes up for our complete lack of party-ness tonight. Don't get me wrong, although we DO go to bed way before midnight, we will wake for fireworks at the stroke of 12 as Georgie likes to bark and go nuts and jump on the bed and try to suffocate us. So we will be ringing in the new year. I hope you have something lovely planned and it's exactly as you hoped, whether it be low key or high key, but most importantly, involves your favourite people.

The first half of 2010 was kind of a hard year for us, but we have had a great second half and think that 2011 will be a fairly awesome year. It's just got that vibe to it, that the best stuff is still coming on it's way. I believe that and if you said where we'd be a at NYE last year... well, I probably wouldn't have believed you. We have some changes coming up this year (and DRMR IS PROMISING ME A HOLIDAY) and it's all exciting.

Other things:
Green and yellow are my favourite colours. Equal bests. FOR FESTIVITY purposes, I picked a sparkly green for my toes for Christmas, but on it was sort of a yellow green and looked like toenail fungus. So when I got back, I got them painted what I thought was a mustardy yellow colour, but in fact has come across as a lurid fluro orange. I think I am going to go back to black and leave colour for those able to pick it with some degree of success.

I once stated as a naive pregnant woman that Ruby was not going to have merchandisey stuff... but if you saw her santa stocking you would realise how um... you know, I stopped being uptight and just bought stuff that would make her very happy. Even in 40 degree temps, she is refusing to take off her yo gabba gabba vans. Just don't look at her bedroom, it's ridiculous.

Now I have some time, after about 6 (probably more) months packed away, I have set up my sewing machine, got out fabrics and armed with Pip's book, I am going to attempt a dress for Ruby. You know, as soon as I can get out of bed and pluck up the courage. I am NEARLY there. Just one more nap....

Beginning to feel a lot like Christmas, etc.

2010-12-22T10:07:00.000+11:00

Now, I have blogged profusely before about crotchet-wonder Julie Ramsden and now this Christmas present has been given, I can tell you what I got Bec. Julie has made us crotchet versions of our pets

This is Bec's dog the whippet Vance

And her other whippet Fletch.

So for Christmas I thought long and hard about what to get Bec for Christmas and I approached Julie about possibly making Bec a doll of her husband, D.

And Julie agreed. And thus Mini D was born.

And it is RIDICULOUSLY good, the photos don't do it justice. And Bec absolutely loved it, which made me very happy as well. And Julie remains one of the most awesome crafters I know. Thank you Julie!!!

Helen Dardik

2010-12-17T06:27:00.000+11:00

I love Helen Dardik's style of illustration, I have a number of prints on my wall at home. All purchased from her etsy store. In her blog, she is currently giving away these free gift tags to print and use to add a little colour-joy to your Christmas gifts. I think they are rather spectacular!

2010-12-16T10:20:00.000+11:00

A few new things on Georgie Love from Allira Tee for last minute Christmas presents. Am particularly a fan of this "The Art of Tea Towel Snapping" Tea Towel! It's $25.

Georgie Love launches something new, people are amazed.

2010-12-13T12:24:00.002+11:00

I know the interwebs are totally RUNNING HOT with the question of where's Sal? What is she doing? For real peeps. And I will be able to tell you more about all of that in detail shortly (this morning: swimming with Rubes, working on new Pearl and Elspeth vintage skirts to go online, chowing down on substandard rocky road and this afternoon I have plans of picking up dry cleaning, hanging out at the park for a bit and dropping things off at Bec's house). AWESOME RIGHT? Ah, the crazy crazy, fascinating and glamorous life I lead. I had an ace friend over last week and she got to join me of an afternoon of reading books to my kid, helping me prepare dinner and bathe aforementioned kid. I am not sure if she is going to come back again after all that excitement. That is what you can come to expect from hanging out with me. Plus, I am pretty sure that my house smells like a combination of dog, ground up weetbix in the carpet and op shops.

Anyway, I didn't come here to brag, I came to tell you about ERIN. ERIN is my BFF. We actually met through freaking Livejournal a good ten or more years ago, in very, very different lifetimes. We've both had and left very unhealthy relationships and are now in these ridiculously content and well adjusted adults in healthy and very happy relationships, which is certainly not the path that you would have thought for us if you HAD met us, or listened in to our conversations over the years. She is the person who knows ALL my secrets, that I could tell anything to without hesitation or judgement. And I do, and feel terribly lucky that I have someone I am so close to that I can and I hope you do to. They are the best presents from the Universe. Obviously, we have been lucky enough to actually hang out in person too (she lives in the US), and I hope that we will again soon.

It's kind of weird, cause seriously 3/4 of my friends these days I HAVE met on the internet, whether that be through Georgie Love, blogging or what not. Cause clearly I don't get out much, so you have to make friends where you can find them.

So, Erin and I have been chatting for years about projects and business ideas that we could do together - and we have had and started a number of different things, which have petered out due to time constraints mostly. Until now, Erin rus a successful Etsy store, selling plus size vintage clothing for the ladiez. So she is in Op Shops ALL THE TIME, and we came to a mutual agreement that it would also be awesome for her to stock Georgie Love with some vintage clothing, currently for women and kids, but we are looking at adding menswear soon. AND SO IT WAS.

So it took me this whole blog entry to finally get to the main point, Georgie Love now has a very limited range of perfect condition 1960s and 1970s clothing for your enjoyment, with more stock coming all the time Yay! If there is something you like, the code XMAS will give you 10% off it for good measure.

More Gift Ideas

2010-12-06T15:32:00.000+11:00

So, I am languishing on the bed, in front of the fan now that the kidlet is finally having a nap. I am writing responses for a newspaper interview about online shopping ideas for Christmas (and I don't think they will be prepared for the essay that I have given them... it's uh.. something I am passionate about). BUT one of my favourite things on my list that I wanted to share with you, is this:

It's a handmade wooden fairy door from Monkeytail and Wellington. They have premade ones, or you can custom your own, but isn't it the most DELIGHTFUL thing in the universe? I have given it as a gift in the past, and it is just one of those special things that is an absolute winner for little people with a fairy fascination!

This is what the store says about them:

Not all fairies like to live in the garden. Some are metropolitan dwellers who take to suburban homes and apartment buildings. But how do they get there and where do they live? Well, if you want fairies to enter your home, you need to install a fairy door and we have just the ticket!

Fairy doors can only be opened inwards using Fairy magic and if they are forced open the fairies will see this as a break and enter and will flee to safer pastures. Due to their size, fairy doors are quite delicate and are designed for ornamental purposes only. Your child can still interact with the fairy door, but the idea is to leave letters, teeth and gifts for the fairies to see what magic happens in return.

In our house, we secretly placed the fairy door in a corner outside our childrenï¿½s bedroom and waited until they had noticed the door themselves. Then a few days later, we sprinkled fairy dust near the entrance to the door and left them a little note from the fairies and some fairy chocolate treats.

Each fairy door comes with a miniature key and a vial of fairy dust, and instructions on how to install your fairy door. Fairy doors attach to the wall with double sided tape and are removable, so if you move home your fairy can move with you! Each door is 1/12th the size of a regular human door, which is approximately 25cm high by 15cm wide.

Each door that we create is unique and one of a kind. We use only child friendly paints and glues.

Please check your kid's homework..

2010-12-02T20:53:00.000+11:00

Oh this made me laugh - from funnyexam. Definitely click to enlarge to read the letter from the parent.

Seriously, my Christmas wishlist.

2010-11-30T10:09:00.001+11:00

DrMr, bless him, is a terrible present buyer. He gets flustered every year and worried about what to buy me, thinks that I am very hard to buy for (a disagreement point), so I end up making a big wishlist and sending it to him, of which he is supposed to buy me a surprise selection, but usually ends up buying the whole list. Which you know, ace. SO THIS YEAR MY FAVOURITE THINGS I HAVE SUGGESTED:

Does anyone NOT have Sew La Tea Do on their wishlist? It's beautiful and I have thumbed through many copies in bookshops and the like. I have a copy for a gift and I KNOW that DrMr has a copy for me as well, so we are well covered. See - I am a beginner sewer and I LOVE the first book and I really want to try a number of things from this one, when I have a bit of time (AND MY OWN PERSONAL COPY) in the new year. January is set aside to sew, didn't you know.

I also need to tell you that in case you haven't met Pip in person, I can assure you that she is absolutely as friendly, ace and kind as she appears in her blog. She really, really is - I find her to be completely inspirational and I think we should support someone local and wonderful who would without a doubt be supporting us (by us, I don't mean Georgie Love - I mean anyone online reading this) if we were doing the same thing.

I first met Pip when I was putting Georgie Love together 5 years ago and there was just Meet Me at Mikes and Craft Victoria flying the flag of Melbourne handmade, so I had very nervous and shy chats with them all. She was as ace and helpful then as she is now and she deserves all the success coming her way, so if you DO know someone with any crafty inclinations Sew-La-Tea-Do is the perfect gift. Perfect.

I think you can buy it instore at Mikes in Fitzroy, otherwise get it from some of my favourite shops - Lark and Readings (who are doing a bargain bundle of Pip's first and second book for $69.95)!

I don't know how it happened, but Foal Design hats started sending me their newsletter a few months ago and I kept madly pining for one, but never bought one, I LOVE the hat designs and vintage fabrics they use, but for me - I am hoping to see the dark denim one under my tree. You can buy them direct from the site, or etsy, but I imagine you will see them everywhere soon.

Candy Stripe Cloud has the most ridiculous range of cute stuff, but I can't go past Lyndsay's Red Apple Shadow Box. Seriously cute and a bargain at $45, I think. It also comes in a juicy green pear

I can't remember if I put this pinwheel brooch on my wishlist as well, but I definitely fancy it.

I know PottyMouthMama has these on her wishlist as well, so I DON'T mean to copy, but I have wanted a pair for ages - especially since Rubes has a pair that barely leave her feet and they look rad, are super comfy and can be worn wet or dry without losing their shape. I really wanted the super hot mustard yellow ones or maybe red, but went with super sensible, wear with everything, black ones. From Little Pinwheel, who has the best price out of all (the very few) Australian outlets I think.

FINALLY, I wanted a Red Riding Hood teaset from Made590, but it's disappeared from their website, still they have a range of supercute Japanese tea sets that I think anyone would love!

In the meantime...

2010-11-23T15:59:00.000+11:00

So, still struggling to find the perfect Christmas gift for your loved ones*? the code XMAS will give you 10% off anything you like at Georgie Love.

Other thing I wanted to share with you was this FREE and wonderful 2011 calendar. Customise your calendar online by choosing from 30 different owl illustrations. Then generate a high res PDF, download, and print. AWESOME and seriously, the artwork is great, but this is not going to go far in convincing DrMr that I am not in fact obsessed with owls. You are welcome.

Everyone's got a bottom is a story about Ben and his brother and sister learning and talking together about bodies. It is a tool for parents and carers to gently start a conversation with children about self protection.

It's about children keeping safe in a style that is fun, positive and protective.

In a more serious note, we bought this book for Rubes which talks about bodies and inappropriate touching in a safe and non-scary way. It is a disturbing topic for parents that is important to talk to your kids about early (how early?), but this book is a winner and I recommend it.

*disturbing and hilarious ad from top 48 ads that would never be allowed today

2010-11-10T12:25:00.001+11:00

We've been away. Someone turned 2. TWO! TWO!

That's some kind of ridiculousness there. But happiest of birthdays to my crazy, hilarious, smart little cake-seeking firecracker.

Built to last

2010-11-02T20:30:00.000+11:00

So hey. It's cup day and I am not really interested in the race - I had to work today (and so did DrMr), so it didn't feel like anything but an ordinary day - apart from the chicken and champagne lunch in the office and zero traffic on the roads. Hooray! I can certainly celebrate good food and wine.

We've been quite busy, I am still catching up on Georgie Love work, there are so many new things on the site just in time for Christmas.

I literally ADORE this pendant from Madz has Runaway and I am contemplating purchasing it for myself. We just had a HIDEOUS electricity bill and need two new tyres on the car... so maybe not quite yet, but I hope to before anyone else does!

We have also been going to the beach on sunny days, swimming at an indoor pool during rainy ones, working on our new vegie patch! We have dug, fertilised (STINKY!) and planted. We are just waiting for our little seeds to sprout. In retrospect I would have bought seedlings, but fingers crossed we will be eating some delicious organic vegies at some point in the future!

ALSO, I picked DrMr up from work today and I noticed (as I have for a while as I have been driving through at times and not able to stop) that some of the fancier suburbs around Toorak are having hard rubbish. So we had a little time before Rubes got super cranky and we had a (sadly, very) little drive around It's a well documented fact that I LOVE hard rubbish. ANYWAY, for the first time DrMr got right into it (he is usually waiting mortified in the car) and he scored for Rubes:

2 pretty awesome bikes, both are in good condition and just need a bit of a scrub.

For himself, a fairly hideous ceramic panther that he insists is going to go in his office. This thing is almost the size of Georgie.

and FOR ME, from one house, we picked up 5 (FIVE) sewing machines. They are of different age, condition - only 1 I am convinced really is dead. I found my sewing machine in a hard rubbish haul last year (with another one), had it serviced by that guy in Belgrave who is convinced that it's in immaculate condition and will last me the rest of my life. It's AWESOME and probably from the 70s. When things were BUILT TO BE KEPT.

Some have manuals.

The oldest and stinkiest, but in such lovely condition! I am sure a collector would dig this.

More, etc.

Now obviously I only need one sewing machine, which I have in my work space and use too infrequently. I don't need seven. I haven't checked any of these, but I certainly can - if you have a niece or daughter (or son!) or cousin or friend who is interested in learning to sew and you wouldn't mind paying for it to have a service - you are welcome to one.

I am DESPERATE to go back and look for more gold in the trash, maybe tomorrow. Ahhh!

Georgie Loves Queen

2010-10-28T15:57:00.000+11:00

Ok, so I have banged on a lot on this blog about my absolute favourite Australian clothing label - Queen Clothing. The pieces are made in Melbourne, are just super-rad, quirky and stylish, comfortable, long lasting, SO WELL MADE and everything (fabric etc) is also made in Australia. I have had a long-term, big-time love for them. In short, the clothing is beautiful and I am very passionate about it!

ANYWAY, I am so beyond chuffed to tell you that as of today, Georgie Love is the only online retailer that you can buy a few select Queen pieces from (and hopefully more to follow).

As for me personally, I am not going to be able to resist the black Georgie Dress (GEORGIE!) or the simply magnificent Sailor Skirt.

Anyway, I hope you love them as much as I do - and if you want to try something out, using the code QUEEN will give you 10% off your order for any pieces in the Girls Clothing category.

Secrets! Not very important ones, mind you.

2010-10-23T15:51:00.023+11:00

It's Saturday afternoon, a little too early to pour a glass of wine while Ruby is napping and I am working. I am sitting here listening to Of Montreal and editing photos I took yesterday of some new stuff for Georgie Love. I mostly use iphoto for photo editing (shameless mac user), but my favourite and EASIEST photo editing software is picnik. It's an online program and free (I have a paid account though), but look what I can do.

BEFORE, FRONT PORCH PHOTO STUDIO MAGIC

AFTER, WOW, IS THAT A PROFESSIONAL STUDIO SHOT?

DID YOU EVER REALISE HOW VERY GLAMOROUS IT IS BEHIND THE SCENES AT GEORGIE LOVE?

Seriously, if I wasn't so lazy, I would use picnik for everything - my photos would look 100% better. Maybe I should try. (ps: this is totally not any kind of paid endorsement - it's just a rad site and if you ARE selling things online as I know a lot of readers do - it's worth it to get your pictures looking as ace as you can.

They have themed things to play with seasonally ( I showed this picture to DrMr and the only thing he could say was "you don't look very happy"... and I said "really? That's the only thing you can say about this picture??????????? I have fangs, not to mention my gaping NECK WOUND") Here I am relaxing with a cup of tea at home.

Or you can be a cheaty-cheater and make yourself look LOVELY AND NATURAL in about 5 minutes flat.

The original was actually taken sans make-up this morning and is so hideous that I am too ashamed to post it. But it is a FAR CRY from the above picture. I was also trying to go for neutral face, not snotty and pissed off.

Meanwhile, my arm is sore from so much clickity-click from the mouse. Enough procrastination, I really have so much to do, so better GET BACK TO IT.

Life is meant to be enjoyed.

2010-10-19T10:46:00.000+11:00

This is something I need to take note of now and then - now mostly. Yay! I love this dude. Let's all dance!

Strike! While the iron is lukewarm

2010-10-15T15:16:00.015+11:00

We are still in Albury, we are here for DrMr's Uncle's funeral. It's very, very, very rainy and wet, but I understand that's the status quo everywhere. Everyone is asleep and it's finally nice and quiet and I am listening to the NEW SUFJAN STEVENS CD (important news to me) and catching up on emails.

I can finally show you some pics that Lyndsay's lovely partner Ben was super ace to take for us. I have wanted to write more about the market as it was so significant an occasion for us, and I had some absolutely wonderful conversations with wonderful people that made me feel so cheery, plus met so many ace people, but now it's a week later and I am somewhere else thinking of other things.

My iPhone died and I feel ridiculously out of touch. I have to take it to the store tomorrow and throw it at them, because it's only a few months old. CRANKY. I also BURNT MY MOUTH on some average dumplings in Albury's only (and over-priced and not very good) Japanese restaurant.

Finders Keepers

2010-10-11T23:18:00.000+11:00

Well! It's all over now, and I want to say a BIG THANK YOU to everyone who came and visited our little stall, our lovely friends and now new friends. It was ace. Exhausting. My favourite part was catching up with makers and friends I don't get to see often enough, meeting new people, other stall holders and crafty folks I have admired for a long time and were as lovely as I imagined. Yay! SO tired today though. I soaked my poor, poor sad feet (seriously, I wore wedge shoes all day yesterday, I am a FOOL) in a bowl of cool water last night and I think it did the trick as they were happier today. I DID do a yoga class tonight and just wanted to collapse on my nap and snooze, it was an endurance test.

Oh, I didn't take any photos on either day, but I know people who DID, so I am hoping some turn up, so I can show you what we did! I should also snap everything I bought, because I went CRAZY in the about 10 minutes I had spare on Sunday morning and I seriously went a little nuts. I almost cried at one stall, because everything was so ridiculously beautiful - I had tears in my eyes. Beautiful things do that sometimes.

Today was spent shuffling around the house, tidying the messes DrMr and Rubes managed during their daddy-daughter days together, I had a NAP (outrageous), and we had a lovely late afternoon in the park.

But SERIOUSLY, where the hell is my baby? Who is this little girl person who followed us around at the park. I barely recognise her in photos.

Sadly, we have to go to Albury for a funeral in the next few days, so I will be a little MIA. Again.

Dream big. Make it happen.

2010-10-06T12:11:00.001+11:00

So I kind of look like a haggard haggardy hag-hag at the moment. SO TIRED, obviously we have been ridiculously busy with Finders Keepers (we have close to 900 different pieces from different makers, I mean SERIOUSLY - that's crazy), but Rubes is waking up through the night at the moment, I am going to bed too late and tossing and turning a bit.. So y'know. Tired. Crabby. The usual.

ALSO, so I have mentioned before that I love going to the gym, which if you noted my chubby self, you would be surprised to discover that I love exercise. I do, it's true,. But I also damnwell love food. YUM. ANYWAY, I usually do the full on combat and cycle and cardio classes, mixed in with the occassional yoga and pilates (can not stand the weights or treadmills, ugh - it's classes only), anyway this is a rather long paragraph in the lead up to tell you that I decided to do a PUMP (weight lifting) class on Monday morning and it's Wednesday and no joke I CAN STILL NOT WALK. I hobble. I hobble, rub my stiff legs and cry. If I walk around a bit, it loosens up and I can do a SORT OF resemblence of a normal walk, but if I sit down (and my job is an office IT job, I sit a lot) as soon as I stand up, I hobble with apparently two wooden legs. And tears in my eyes.

So I have to sort that out before the market on the weekend. I have the dream that I will be able bodied in public. DREAM BIG I say.

Luckily, it's not all work and agony at the moment, we have taken regular time out in the park across the road

Although someone is not pleased when other small people DARE to touch the Ruby Rock swing set. Peons!

Bad parent for photographing her pint sized rage.

2010-09-28T10:22:00.000+10:00

So Bizzay. Preparing for Finders Keepers in less than 2 weeks (just as I typed that, I felt a tiny adrenaline jolt from anxiety, you all do know that I am a sort-of highly strung sort right?) and I keep going ARGH, SURELY I HAVE FORGOTTEN SOMETHING, and while everything is not 100% ready yet, I don't think I have forgotten anything, but I think every half hour I go (ARGH! WHAT HAVE I MISSED) - not sure if it's great for the blood pressure, but lordy, I sure am burning calories.

In my land of meanwhiles, see that ANGELIC looking cherub up there? That's Ruby. My daughter. Who is currently a food-tossing, slapping, kicking, pinching, biting, scratching pain machine. GOOD TIMES RIGHT THERE. I know it's a phase and it'll pass, but jeez. STOP BITING MUMMY.

One of the cutest things I have ever seen.

2010-09-23T21:28:00.001+10:00

22 seconds of joy.

Other things I love

2010-09-22T14:11:00.000+10:00

Have documented a number of times the LOVE I have (Bec too!) for Julie Ramsden's AMAZING crocheted toys. She is a RIDICULOUSLY talented lady who makes one-of-a-kind quirky toy bears, monster, cats and dogs (and more, but you know - you get the gist). We are lucky, lucky to have a new range on Georgie Love and I had to show you. They all freestanding and have wire in their limbs and even fingers so you can pose them in any which way. I THINK I love Melville the best (the fish! the tiny sailor hat! the tentacles!)

But the argyle jumper on Arnie? Super awesome.

And Bugalugs - the antennae! .

Which means that I can't leave Bernie and his striped skivvy out either.

Bec and I both have a bit of a Julie toy collection, and I think you will be competing with us as to who gets to take these guys home. Ahhh! We ALSO have a special few for the Finders Keepers market, which won't be seen anywhere else. Hooray!

Wednesdays!

2010-09-22T13:27:00.000+10:00

Wednesdays are currently the best night of the week, my favourite class at the gym is on at a reasonable time (body combat, a mixed martial arts-a-thon), and TONIGHT GLEE is back. Yay! Do you like Glee? I know people who are mixed about it, and the people who aren't into it have judged it by the ads. It's actually good. I am bit hesitant that this season will be like the second half of the first season - a little less likable because they seemed to be trying to cram in so many (and unnecessary) celebrity cameos into the episodes, rather than focusing on the stories and characters we already love.

ANYWAY, even BETTER THAN GLEE, I am LOVING the new Foxtel show Spirited. I seem to love everything Claudia Karvan has been involved in over the past few years and this is no different. I was first taken by surprise by one of the characters being dead (I don't watch commercials closely, obviously), but lordy do I look forward to it. Have you seen it???

WINNER!

2010-09-21T13:39:00.000+10:00

Hey, I am only nearly a week late (but what a week! Actually, it wasn't a bad week at all, just busy, but not too bad. let's just positively determine that I am lazy and a procrastinator) but random.org has declare that Monique at A Glass Half Full is the winner of the Ambette giveaway!

Mon, can you please make an order with GL with your favourite iphone cover, pop your address in (choose bank deposit as payment method, but obviously - don't pay) and we will get this made up and sent to you quick smart! Yay!

LAST DAY!

2010-09-15T10:12:00.000+10:00

Giveaway closes TOMORROW to win a iPhone cover of your choice from Ambette. GET INTO IT!

Also JUST IN AND NEW on Georgie Love, these SUPER CUTE hair pins from Apple a Day. They MAY be meant for little girls, but I can definitely see myself in one too. Ahhh!

GIVEYAY!

2010-09-11T13:13:00.000+10:00

I LOVE these new iPhone, laptop and iPad sleeves on Georgie Love from ace maker Ambette. I have been looking for something that is practical, stylish and not so cutesy that would cause comment if I took one of them out at work (cause lord knows, I wear enough things to cause comment, I don't require more). These are obviously perfect.

To celebrate, we are giving away an iPhone cover! Just blog or tweet at me (Georgie_Love) your favourite to win! (how could you go past green though? My FAVE!) Entries close 16 Sept.

Do you know what is ace?

2010-09-10T17:53:00.000+10:00

Lyndsay White is ace. As is her super-dooper, brand spanking new side-project shop Candy Striped Cloud. It has the ace brooches and cards that you would expect from any White-Lady venture, but it has the MOST RIDICULOUSLY cute miniatures. It's been launched less than a week and I have already bought (and received) an order. I am SO CLOSE to making another. Addictive and sweet. Go check it out.*

(* BUT NOT YOU, ERIN PIPES, BIRTHDAY GIRL - STAY THE HELL AWAY, OR YOU WILL RUIN PART OF YOUR BIRTHDAY SURPRISE)

MISSING: presumed in bed, rolling around in cookie crumbs

2010-09-10T16:53:00.000+10:00

Oh, so hai. I feel like I have been completely MIA and out of touch. Everything is really good though, I am still super busy, but I have been spending a LOT of time filling in that busy-ness with things I (and my family) love doing - I have been at the gym loads, watching movies (currently visiting season 1 of The L Word), baking cakes, taking Rubes swimming, hanging out. You know, LEISURE TIME THINGS.

Things I never used to do much of. Oh, I would do things to entertain Rubes, we are always doing fun things... but things for just me? Not so much.

See, right now... it's 4:30 on a Friday afternoon and I am under the covers in bed drinking tea. Unheard of. Admittedly I have vacuumed the house, picked up some printing for a conference DrMr has to go to this weekend, baked some vegan peanut butter cookies for his work place (seriously delish), tidied, shopped, bought Rubes a book about sharks, ate lunch in a Japanese restaurant with Rubes and DrMr, drove all around a bit, swore in traffic and otherwise kept a toddler entertained and happy. So it's not like I spent all DAY in bed. Just the last little bit.

I think it's good, but I you know, I need to make more of an effort not to be so out of touch.

SUPER IMPORTANT THINGS.

1. I need a haircut, I can not grow my hair. I am in foofy hair helmet land.

2. Georgie Love is going to officially be represented at the Finders Keepers markets in October. It's our first ever market, which is a Big Deal. Bec and I are working overtime to make sure it's super ace. So if you are about, make sure you mark the 9 & 10 of Oct in your DIARIES now, so you can come and say HI.

3. My toddler is OBSESSED with fish, water and all water-related creatures. It's been the same since pretty much birth, she is a little water baby. I don't think she is going to be a real girly princess sparkles kind of girl (despite a current preference for a pink dummy) - she LOVES all the scary creatures, sharks, things with teeth. We have this documentary we have seen too many times to mention and her absolute favourite bit is where a polar bear jumps into the sea to try and (unsuccessfully) catch and eat beluga whales for lunch. The bear jumps in and she screams "UH OH!" in delight. I guess we have the theme figured for her second birthday...

Snugerena

2010-08-24T17:12:00.000+10:00

I think we all know someone who would sport a leopard skin Snuggie. For most of my friends, it's ah.. probably me.

2010-08-21T20:41:00.000+10:00

Ok, so how is the weekend going? We headed back to the hills to vote (hadn't updated our address yet, whoops) and it was a joyful thing as there was literally NO queue at the Scout Hall we voted at, although I hear the primary school was over run and the rotary were having a freak out as everyone was buying the school's fundraising sausages, and no one showing any interest in their hot jam donuts. Hearing that information made the crave hot jam donuts for the rest of the day.

Other uninteresting, but true facts:

1. roast vegies with meredith feta for dinner tonight, which is hands down my favourite meal in the world

2. the vegies I roast are: potato, sweet potato (my fave), parsnip, carrot, pumpkin, mushroom, zucchini and asparagus

3. I am typing this to procrastinate from doing some overdue GL work.

But look! Inspirational doggy!

Vote 1 Queen

2010-08-18T15:12:00.000+10:00

I think I have mentioned before that Queen Clothing is my absolute favourite clothing label - the clothes are beautifully made, quirky, lovely to wear AND they are made in Melbourne. They also have two fairly spectacular studio sales that are well worth a visit and one is THIS weekend. I will see you there, but hands off the obis - they are my favourite.

Very busy. Very important. Can't stop.

2010-08-17T20:19:00.000+10:00

It's very important to get your under 2s skilled-up to perform the most tiresome jobs in the house. Get cracking Ruby Rock, or no dinner. Well, no after dinner leftover cheesecake.

Saturday afternoons

2010-08-14T15:12:00.001+10:00

I am lolling about on the bed this afternoon. After the whole cranky post of the other day, I got a like this winter coldy relapse with the stupendous additional features of:

1. a coldsore. ON MY FOREHEAD, which made me look (and feel) like I had leprosy. There was no covering this bad boy.
2. this weird allergy thing in BOTH eyes, they are super itchy and very bloodshot. I have a prescription which has done nothing but cost $36 and made me a little poorer.
3. antibiotics which are a little blah-making, but I seem to be finally shaking this winter-long disease, so BRING IT ON.

So basically, I look like a flesh-decaying zombie or an oddly chubby crack addict, and if you don't find the idea of me so freaking hot right now, there is something seriously wrong with you. There is. You. Not me.

It's ok, I have the companionship of my faithful hound on the floor beside me, who as you can see, is stupendously thrilled to make a triumphant and overdue REAPPEARANCE in the blog named in his honour. His. Not the human-puppy, ok? HIS.

So I made this lemon cake the yesterday (note: it is delicious and is so a cake and not a bread, but I used the juice of two whole lemons rather than 2 tbs, which is ridiculously tight on the lemon juice) the batter tasted odd and I wasn't sure how it would work out, but it is delicious and perfect with a nice cup of tea in bed on a Saturday afternoon. Very light and fluffy. If you have a massive and never ending box of lemons sitting on your bench mocking you, I would suggest you make it too. We went into the city this morning and wandered about and bought some books, which is also a very nice way to spend a Saturday.

Anyway, I wanted to say thanks for the crank-shaking advice. I have taken most if not all of it on board - eating comfort food (I am lucky, for me this is roast vegies), going to bed early and trying to do nice things with very nice people. I am also trying to clear out some old metaphorical crap and baggage that I have been holding on to - which I will put in the bin next to a ridiculous and annoying letter I received last week. I think it is all working That and the fact that it's DrMr's turn to vacuum and mop and it's my job to sit on the bed and drink tea and eat cake and look at things online that I will bake. Dinner is already in the slow cooker and smells delicious.

I hope you are happy wherever you are and whatever you are doing!

Winner of Nevertheless GIveaway!

2010-08-07T19:35:00.000+10:00

random.org says congratulations to GREENAPPLEDESIGN as the winner of our giveaway - drop me a line to let me know your address and what piece I can send you! YAY! :-D

Tiddy Bear

2010-08-06T13:13:00.002+10:00

Only the toddler in the car seat is grabbing it with a "WTF" face.

ppppfffffffpfpfpfpfpfpffffffff (sound of balloon deflating)

2010-08-05T10:43:00.000+10:00

Can I tell you something, I am not sure if you have noticed or not, but me... I have totally lost my mojo. Somewhere in packing and moving, debating between changing jobs and staying, Georgie Love changes, a teething and cranky child (who has picked up a myriad of obnoxious habits from daycare) I turned into a surly cow. I am cranky. And short tempered. With everyone. And I don't like being that, particularly with the ones I love the most.

I am not sure what I need to do. Drink more coffee? Drink less coffee? Go for more walks? Get some time out? Sleep more? Sleep less? Eat more cheesecake? I am trying all but nothing is working.

For my birthday yesterday, Ruby gave me a 4 hour sleep. So I cooked and pottered about and did a few things that I like to do without a 22 month-old clinging to me. It was bliss! Maybe I need more of that? Time on my own (I am an introvert, it's definitely required), rather than birthdays (nice, but expensive for DrMr to maintain).

Any advice welcome. Gladly.

You did, you know.

2010-08-03T12:32:00.001+10:00

I absolutely ADORE these, I am literally sitting here debating between getting this as a brooch (RAD) or a pendant (EQUALLY RAD) for myself. They are NEW from Georgie Love's newest friend NEVERTHELESS. To celebrate such wonderful rad-ness on the site, we are having a giveaway! Pick your favourite piece from Nevertheless (if you can, obviously I have played with these in person and they are just STUNNING), let me know in a blog comment and you could win it! You have till early Saturday morning (7 August).

Just 10 minutes more.

2010-07-31T17:18:00.000+10:00

It's Saturday afternoon and fortuitously, everyone but me is napping. I am drinking tea, scoffing what feels like most of a packet of milk arrowroots and sucking up these few moments without a snotty and teething cranky child hanging off me, like a DROWNING MAN GASPING FOR AIR. 10 minutes for a cup of tea on my own is my saving grace sometimes.

This has pretty much been her expression all day.

I am actually researching recipes that require a million lemons, as I picked all these off the small tree earlier.

And I still have all these to go on the big tree Ahh.

I think while the second tree is DEFINITELY lemons, the tree I picked seems like a hybrid as they a lemon shape, but with an oranger hue, are slightly sweeter than lemons, SUPER JUICY, but still a magnificent tartness. I really do not know, as I am not Lady-Doctor-Citrus. Much to your surprise.

Not sure what to start doing with them, I used three along with water, sugar and vanilla to poach some pears in the slow cooker. The syrup is SO delicious that I keep creeping over with a spoon to slurp it up.

Other than that, I got an ok haircut at the Biba close to our new home (except the guy cutting my hair WOULD NOT SHUT UP and asked me what I was doing on the weekend THREE times, which I answered the same every time - not much as we have a toddler, which makes me feel like a LOSER, but my weekend is rad to me), coloured my hair (home job, my hair is so short it makes no difference between using a $12 box job and $100 by a professional). The ace DrMr has been giving me a break from the cranky lady:

His endless patience for tea parties.

Sharing his lunch while trying to find Nemo.

(DrMr was woken from his nap (he still has a cold) by Ruby throwing a dummy on his face, which bounced off his head and rolled under the bed. While crawling under the bed get it, he was whipped on his exposed back by her with a wet face cloth used to wipe her face after lunch, as he flinched away from it, his back hit the oil heater and burnt him. Terrible, but I laughed a lot when he told me that story)

Tired

2010-07-30T12:51:00.002+10:00

Ok, so we have completely moved in... finally! What awesome fun with a teething child with a cold, who then passes that cold on to the rest of us. Hooray! We got the keys a few week earlier than when we planned to move the big stuff, so it only took us a few days to settle in. They have been a few quite tumultuous and strange days, but we are in and happy. Ruby is ecstatic with the new house and wakes every morning with a (literally) big "YAY! Hi House!", and DrMr and I are happy that her 5:15am starts have seemed to have settled down. UGH.

Things we like:

New beds and bedding. After sleeping on a shitty bed for several years, we finally caved and bought a new bed suite and fancy mattress and I could cry every night when I go to bed for the joy of it. AHHHHHH. SO COMFY.

A house with a bath FINALLY. We only had a baby bath still for Rubes in the old house, so she is well pleased. Actually every day is almost like Christmas (for the joy and anticipation) for her as I don't think I have ever told you HOW obsessed she is with baths. She is also obsessed with using her full name all day long - "that's Ruby Rock's bath... Ruby Rock needs a drink"... etc. Cute and crazy all at once.

Both DrMr and I (for the first time) have separate working spaces that reflect our personal working styles and tastes....

HARD TO PICK WHOS IS WHO... I KNOW.

I bought a new mac laptop and a new camera recently, very happy. I am anticipating better quality photos for GL. If not, then I have obviously got to find something else to blame, because as it stands like with most things, I am a MAGNIFICENT photographer.

Actually my main aim for the next few weeks is to actually read the manual and figure out how to use it. Pictures are much nicer, that I can tell.

Other than that, we have been mostly painting (Wuby Wock is obsessed), riding our bikes in the big park across the road and just hanging out and settling in. Life is good. Oh, so I also decided not to take the new job I was offered, I was feeling a whole heap of anxiety about it and it was a lot of change for all of us with not much reward. Feel really good about the decision.

Right now, it's nap time ... for Rubes AND me. Have a good weekend!

did you get it?

2010-07-28T14:52:00.003+10:00

Georgie Love newsies

2010-07-21T14:16:00.001+10:00

Ok, here is some big Georgie Love news... Georgie Love is now no longer just Sal and Georgie, we've taken on board one of our very good friends - BEC, so Georgie Love is now us three. I met Bec because she used to be (and still is) one of Georgie Love's first and best customers and a very good friendship developed through it and she is now one of my besties. More importantly, Bec is as passionate about supporting and promoting handmade as much as I am, so it's a perfect fit. She's very invested in the site and seeing it grow and evolve, so we are very excited.

Having someone else to work with and bounce ideas around with is FABULOUS as I am usually so busy trying to do everything, that I haven't had the energy (or time) to invest in growing the site as I have wanted and to make it in to everything that it could be.

As such, we have a new postal address to take place immediately (but don't stress, a mail redirection from the old one is in place in case you forget in the short term) and so can you now please address everything Georgie related to:

Georgie Love
PO Box 18349
Collins Street East, VIC 8003

(note: please mark everything as do not bend!)

We've also applied for a big table at the Finders Keepers in August, so fingers crossed that comes off (GL's first ever market). Yay!

This is sad little post 501

2010-07-20T09:37:00.002+10:00

Deep in the midst of moving house. Am very cold and very busy. Be back soon with a NEW attitude and NEW NEWS. Hooray!

Everyone is a winner, baby

2010-07-05T19:42:00.000+10:00

Ok, so DrMr just got back from RUSSIA, which with a statue of Lenin and all those babushka dolls, I felt was probably too obvious as I think everyone got it. However, RANDOM.ORG declares the superace POTTYMOUTHMAMA as the winner, so word woman. Send me your address finally.

So much news which I started typing, but I will tell you that soon. I got offered a new job today, which is fairly ace.

Should you watch this? Yes you should.

2010-07-01T12:37:00.000+10:00

GiveYAY and thank any god you like that DrMr is home!

2010-06-30T21:00:00.002+10:00

Ok, so hi. DrMr was away for 10 days somewhere far, far away and I was busy being a SOLE parent (big, BIG love to any of you single parents out there, you have my utmost love and respect) and looking for somewhere new for us to live, and succeeded with both, but everything else in my life got terribly neglected. And lets be honest, there is A LOT in my life that is already neglected, but you know, not to this MAGNITUDE. I barely slept, ate or spoke to anyone who wasn't birthed to me or stuffed with polyfill.

So we have a house, we will be moving in there sometimes in the next 2 or so weeks. Have we packed anything? No, of course not, so shut up with such foolish ideas. It's about 10 or 15 kms out of the city, instead of 60, so hey SEE YOU AROUND. And a 5 minute commute from work, so LIFE IS GOOD. AM EXCITED, but packing seems like a chore so I will leave that to the last minute.

Now I promised a giveaway, not the giveaway I planned, because THAT REQUIRES ORGANISATION, but you know... I am all about making do.

So I was SUPER EXCITED to win this awesome Simple Softies book from the most lovely Cath I know, Ms ChunkyChooky herself and the people at Penguin were awesome enough to send one for ME and one for YOU, so if you are interested in a simply delightful and simple crafty book, then lets get to it, my friend.

I actually really, really like the book because you don't need sewing knowledge (BUT YOU KNOW, I THINK MY NEW HOUSE HAS A CRAFT ROOM, I HAVEN'T HAD SPACE TO BUST THE SEWING MACHINE OUT SINCE THE HOUSE WAS BACK ON THE MARKET) or a machine to make super lovely toys. It's detailed, got simple patterns and instructions, so is filled with nothing but good stuff. Awesome! Want to win it?

OK - so DrMr was far far and away and finally came home last night, which was such a happy occasion. I am going to post some photos that he took while away, so have a look and see if you can guess where he was (I am not going to approve any comments until the giveaway is over). Just have a guess and random.org will choose a winner. If your guess is RIGHT, then I will add more handmade goodness from Georgie Love and include something extra. YAY! Ok here are your clues:

Giveaway closes 5 July 2010!

(ps: if any of this makes no sense, I apologise, I am very, very tired)

Aw

2010-06-22T19:24:00.000+10:00

Apparently, according to the 19 month old, this is a picture of DrMr and Georgie. DrMr is the tall object on the left and Georgie is the bulbous creature in the middle, taking all of the space. Obviously and well observed, Miss Rubes.

(In the spirit of kid's artwork, this is an oldie but a goodie.)

Mondays

2010-06-21T22:48:00.000+10:00

Had a busy few days with coughs and the like. I am about to blog a giveaway in the next day or so entitled "WHERE IN THE WORLD IS DRMR?", cause he is currently away and it is somewhere quirky. In the meantime apart from the busy getting him ready to go away, we have:

Been braving the cold and spending much time outdoors.

Potty training - and she is getting it! Actually, she is leading/initiating it - I was planning on getting into it proper (a few stops and starts with the house sales) when we moved into the new house, but she is definitely letting us know when she needs to go, and then, well... Doing it.

I haven't been feeling awesome for a little while, really sluggish and blah, so I am doing one of those extreme detox things, no meat, dairy, sugar, salt, caffeine, alcohol type ones (called the INTESTINAL BROOM to give you an idea). I started just before DrMr went away, so if I exploded from caffeine withdrawal, he could do the parenting while I curled up in a ball and cried. I am not doing too bad really, lots of roast vegies and feta tossed together for dinner (my TOTAL comfort foods), so hey, yum.

However, I WAS craving something sweet after dinner last night and I totally INVENTED something yum. I put apricot halves in an oven-proof bowl and on top in the whizzey-whizzer, I made a crumble with almonds, cinnamon, dried apple, dried apricot and oats, baked for about 15-20 minutes and IT WAS DELICIOUS. I was looking forward all day to eating it again SUGGESTIONS WELCOME for added deliciousness.

Sole parenting and trying to get any work done, meh. Here we are wrapping Georgie Love orders together as a baby with a sniffle is a baby who refuses to sleep. Do you have any fun tips do you have to keep kids occupied and happy when Daddy is away?

Winner!

2010-06-12T08:52:00.000+10:00

Winner of the superdooper cute foxie brooch is number 1 - Milkwood Design! (maker of simply beautiful resin jewelery - go check it out, I was contemplating buying a bangle from etsy the other day and was too torn between 4, but I will be decisive and purchase one before too long) Amelia, please let me know your address and foxie will be on it's way to you!

In a second note, I looked in all the suggested places for the phone and it STILL hasn't turned up. Tricky little thing!

I am really not a phone person, but...

2010-06-11T13:51:00.000+10:00

I succumbed. Oh, I know they are about to release another one, but I called my phone company and asked how long on my contract (who I have been with for about 4 or 5 years), that I wanted to know how much it would be to cancel and they offered me a (3gs 32gig) one REALLY, REALLY cheap and with a free 1 gig a month for 24 months, so how could I refuse???

My current phone is missing and the one I am using doesn't have a back, so the battery falls out if you put it down with any measure of force, so really, anything that doesn't fall apart with your every day wear and tear is only going to be a win, right? Sure.

GIVEYAY!

2010-06-08T08:05:00.001+10:00

I am bad, this fellow has been sitting on my desk for a week or two waiting for a bit of love and a new home. Pretty cute right?

Foxie here was obviously made by the pretty awesome Betty Jo. Chances are, if you are reading this, you probably also know Liz and her blog. Liz is pretty ace. DID YOU KNOW though, that she was one of the first crafty folk we had on Georgie Love? Liz had just started sending her lino pieces into the world and she was selling in Pussycat Cat Black, The Cat's Meow and then Georgie Love. We were her first foray into the online world and now it's so completely ace to see that she sells all over the world. She's huge! And she still stocks with us, Pussycat Black and the Cat's Meow. My point is, we have had a very happy and loooooong relationship and to celebrate, that super cute foxie-fellow could be yours. Thanks Liz!

Leave a comment and I will draw a winner on Saturday morning. It's easy, so get HAPPY.

(BONUS TO SAY: If you can tell me where in the house I have put my phone, you will win a MASSIVE bonus prize. Cause it's lost and the battery is flat, but I KNOW it is here as I briefly heard it buzzing yesterday. Also if you have called me, this is why I haven't responded - haven't had it since Saturday!)

HELLO

2010-05-31T13:59:00.001+10:00

Ok, so I have been so revoltingly sick, I am now nearly fully deaf in one ear and have much diminished hearing in the other, but I am finally feeling better. Well I imagine I am still more than a little short tempered, but I am trying. Yes I am. I AM OK? SO shut up. We have had a flurry of interest in the house since being back on the market, and despite CLEANING being the most HORRIBLE thing to face when you feel sick, it's satisfying and hope-inducing that interest is still good. Our agent called us this morning and said that we were definitely getting two offers in today (A BIDDING WAR HAS BEEN OUR DREAM) and there is still another inspection this afternoon, so who knows - maybe we will get more than the original and failed offer. A greedy girl can dream, right?

Meanwhile, parenting is totally kicking me in the face at the moment. Rubes is just hard to get along with, everything is drama and naughtiness. For example she will wake up in the morning and call "MUMMY! MUMMY! MUMMY!" until I get up and I go in to her room and as soon as I walk in, she pretends I am not there and has a conversation with her doll Pia instead. I say to her, "good morning, do you want to get up?" She either ignores me and pretends I am not there or says "No". So I say ok and go back to bed, but as soon as I make motions to leave the room, hysteria and tears set in, but the same thing happens when I turn around and go back in. If I try and pick her up, she kicks like a banshee, wails and cries. So, I say, ok, you play in your cot, Mummy is going to lie on the floor with a pillow and go back to sleep, just let me know when you want to go downstairs for breakfast and she will then stand up in her cot and throw everything from her cot at my head. I usually get sick of it all, so fish her out of bed with much drama and tears, until the temptation of something downstairs settles the tears. It goes ON. LIKE. THIS. ALL. DAY.

While we are here, I also wanted to share with you my MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT TIPS for cleaning up milk vomit splatter-sprayed over the carpet:

1. Wool mix is GREAT for cleaning, it cleans really well, is gentle on the carpet and the eucalyptus smell covers the underlying stench of vomit.

2. Did you know that the gag reflex is surpressed when you smile? I am quite serious. While you are picking up chunks, GRIN as you do it, because it will remove the need to sympathy chuck.

3. Remember you DO need to wash any chunks from clothing before putting in the washing machine, or else you will be scooping that pulp from the bottom of your machine.

In some good news, it's hard rubbish week in our suburb and I have been on the lookout. I MISSED out on a male mannequin sitting across the road (I was going to call him Manny), but I am alert and am going to get in to the good stuff early.

sick as a dog

2010-05-23T17:44:00.000+10:00

seriously. So SICK. WORST COLD EVER. I have resorted to drinking a little wine this evening as it's the only thing putting me to sleep and numbing the aches (yes, shhhh short term relief for long term misery). I have a new staff member starting tomorrow and have to go in to the Uni office, or else there will be nothing for them to do. Even if I turn up, throw some work at them and come back to bed. THANKS RUBY, GERMIEST CHILD IN THE UNIVERSE. I took a week off work last week to look after her (worst cold ever) and now I NEED SOME TIME HOME FOR ME. DrMr is now juggling two whingey high-needs ladies.

ALSO, the house sale fell through, which due to the number of finance-related extensions, was not a surprise, but I am having HOUSE CLEANING anxiety for the first OFI again next weekend. Poo poo wees plops and all the other child-friendly expletives.

This looks good for Melbourne dog lovers. I am thinking of going in so much I can think of doing anything other than cry, sneeze or complain at the moment.

Hope your weekend was jollier! My child is now occupying herself by throwing random objects down the stairs. Thank goodness she is doing something other than wipe her nose on my shoulder.

kiddy crafty stuff

2010-05-19T22:06:00.002+10:00

Rubes loves drawing and spends a lot of time during the day either using her chalk and chalk board (she loves drawing WITH people, so this is often a joint activity with either mum or dad), on paper with crayons or pastels, or we do a combo with stickers and crayons - we have just piles and piles of things she has done, because I can't bare to throw any out. I want to start thinking of some tactile things she can play with, I am not sure how she would go with playdough, but we will see.

I don't like getting the cheapest stuff to play with, the mid range priced stuff definitely lasts longer, is safer, colours are more vibrant and really, is probably less expensive in the long run as you will get your monies worth.

We bought watercolour painting stuff last week at Officeworks and we bought Micador branded stuff, and I LOVE it - I was hesitant about getting the 18 different colour box (about $14 I think?? although does she really need 18 different colours at 18 months? DrMr says yes). Anyway, it's been the bomb - you only need a tiny bit to get a good colour wash (and depending on how much water you add, will depend on the depth of colour), even the paint pigment washes off skin and clothes with soap and water and I think it's Australian made/owned. Also, Rubes had some in her mouth and Georgie drank some paint water and both are perfectly healthy, so it's verified as non-toxic.

We modified it a bit, it suggests dipping it in the paint, then water and then on to the canvas - too tricky for Rubes, so we just mix water and paint in the pallet and away we go. The brushes have been a bit ordinary and losing their shape quickly, but for about $4 for 4, I should keep low expectations. (ps: this is not any kind of paid advertisement)

(ps: I am sure I am overdue a giveaway or two! have nothing more to report, more of the same here)

Small stuff

2010-05-18T20:12:00.000+10:00

DrMr and I love this ad, I laugh every time it's on.

Rubes is sick, DrMr is cranky and I have an earache. We have been taking it quiet. Rubes' new love is PAINTING.

So much fun and I love to see what she has made.

it's true

2010-05-12T10:23:00.000+10:00

via. I know which person I aim to be.