Ag May ...

my Blog-jo? Oh no - I didn't just eat it, did I?  I thought this was a pear. I'll help you look for it... Nope - not under the arm chair... Not in the entrance hall... Do you think it went out the door? Near the plug, maybe? I just need a *yawn* quick po-wer na... *zzzz* Back onto the job... nope - not here. Are you sure it's not near a plug?  That's where I would put it - it's my favourite place. I'm running out of places to look.  Are you sure I didn't eat it? Don't worry, Mama.  I'm sure it's around here somewhere.  We'll just keep looking.

I don't know about you, but I'm just amazed at this... For $99, we were able to buy these... thick cotton drill shorts   And these... light cotton shorts (although I'm not too taken with the tan coloured one :) ) And these... fully lined, warm hoodies And this... fully lined winter overcoat All shipped from the UK to Australia.  For me, this is online shopping at its best.  No crowds, no lines, no grumpy husband sick of walking around trying to find the best deal.  I don't think I can get all of this, at this price for this quality, even at Best and Less .  Our "No Shopping Centre" month has continued on from December into January - yeah!!! Happy New Year!!!

I love cameras and I love taking photos.  Together they capture memories.  It doesn't have to be a fancy camera.  It doesn't have to be a well-composed photo.  It just has to capture that moment to jog those memory banks.  Here are a couple that will make me laugh in years to come... Little Miss M got a butterfly costume for Christmas.  It consisted of butterfly wings, a butterfly headband and a butterfly wand.  On Christmas night, after playing around with her gifts, Little Miss M decided that she wanted to wear her butterfly costume. Uh huh - her butterfly costume and nothing else.  Oh the innocence of this moment.  She was proud as punch of this costume and her ingenuity of putting it on herself. The upside down butterfly - the icing on the cake. I'm still laughing. Here's another moment in time - and really a moment in time.  Baby Mac and auntie enjoying each others company.  Enjoying a bit too much, maybe? ...

But only in that I wish I had discovered much earlier how easy it was to make fabric balls.   I love them.  I love them as gifts.  I love them to throw around inside the house. I had made a few of them already as baby gifts when Little Miss M ever so sweetly asked for one.  How can I deny my own?  And so I made a small fabric ball for Little Miss M, minus the tags and bells.   It's actually one of my favourite fabric combinations so far - orange, pink and distressed denim.  And it's a great toy to practice "catch" with! I'm not sure how many other parents can appreciate having a soft ball to play with inside the house - to practice catching and throwing with - especially when there is a baby underfoot that is shuffling around in the same play area. How old do you think is "too old" to receive a fabric ball as a present? As it was, still on a fabric ball crusade, I started looking for instructions on how to make a fabric socc...

Here are my handmade efforts for Christmas this year...  I'm pretty chuffed with the outcome and, with the whole clan in attendance this year, their appreciation made all the late nights so worth it!!!  Love you guys!! Home made star by Little Miss M.  Santa came to visit and forgot to wipe his shoes at the front door! Technically a "Bon Voyage" present - pillow bags with pillows.  I'm so happy with the outcome as it was my own design.  The inspiration, though, came from here .   For the little girls Two of the Three Little Maids   (thanks to Jodie Carlton of Vintage Ric Rac for sharing her awesome designs and sewing know how) Crocheted ballerinas  (I left the finishing of these until last and I'm so glad I did - these little ones killed my hands!!) (Thanks to Mia Zamora for sharing this wonderful design)  With this type of reaction, of course it's worth the effort!!! Merry Christmas and...

I was really against Advent Calendars before.  I just didn't understand how they fit in the spirit of Christmas.    And then, one day a thoughtful friend (thanks P!) sent me this link which made me rethink the spirit of the Advent calendar and inspired me to make not one, not two but three Advent Activity calendars  (one for Little Miss M and one each for her two cousins)!!    Unfortunately, I didn't get this lightbulb inspiration until the 2nd of December, which was the same day that my Baby Mac was not feeling too great.   So, from none to three, in the space of one late evening, here are my super quick, super simple, Advent Calendars. Want to know how to make them?  Then read on! You'll need - brown crafting or wrapping paper.  I got mine from Woolworths. - ribbon tied into bows - some Christmas stamps or stickers (something to decorate about 5 or 6 brown packets) - a pen/texta...

Caramel Popcorn - devil's food, I'm sure.  I am addicted to this stuff.  Once in a while, I buy that awful stuff from the supermarket and binge on it.  Sadly (or thankfully  - I don't know!!), I seem to be the only one in the family to love this stuff.  I thought I would try to make some at home.  So...   I made a batch on Tuesday night - one jar full plus 4 and a 1/2  brown bags full.  I gave away one bag to a neighbour.  I gave the 1/2 bag to my husband for work.  And I "shared" (as in I think I ate the lion's share of it) one bag with some friends who came over on Wednesday.   I was surfing Pinterest last night.  And on Thursday morning, I wake up and this is what I'm left with... Before the photo shoot... After the photo shoot (I took about 3 photos!!)... And that's it - no more after this jar is emptied!! On another note, I had a go at creating "art".  Art, as in something t...