Hot and Not

HOT

* My necklace from Lisa Leonard Designs. Andrew bought it for me for my birthday this year - and before you get all 'oh what a sweet husband you have to get you such a thoughtful gift' on me, lets just say that after the misadventures we have had in present buying, the best thing for me to do is show Andrew specifically what I want and wait for my birthday!

* Story time at the library - I've said it before and I am sure to say it again, what an awesome resource to offer the public - stories, songs and craft, the stuff all toddlers love!

* Andrew finally doing his tax return - hello spending money!

* Finders Keepers Market - very keen to hang out with some bloggy friends for shopping and
dinner.

* Kindergarten graduation ceremony for our little Lucia - one full year of school almost done, what a trooper!!

NOT

* Depression - sucks the life out of you.

Thanks Loobylu for this fun meme

Lookee here!

After a very quick and lovely visit from my fancy friend, I made a mad dash to Woolworths to see for myself the apron I made that was used in their Good Taste magazine. I stood like a fool gawking at. my. apron!! What a thrill to se something I made in print - obviously this has never happened to me before!

There it is - used for advertising of Nestle choc bits - kind of ironic it was used for Nestle since I have been boycotting them since I was like, born! It started with my mum indoctrinating us from the moment we could understand and has carried on into my family and my siblings familes. Andrew was pretty miffed when he realised he wasn't ever going to be able to buy Milo again but he got over it.

(the Sew Hip magazine was in the newsagency finally so I got that too!)

I made this quick top for myself yesterday using some remnants from Spotlight. I used the Amanda pattern from Burdastyle, which is such a terrific resource. It's kind of annoying doing all that printing and sticking together but to not have to travel for a pattern is so awesome. Note, if you do decide to print out this pattern the directions are shocking, I had to keep referring to the site pictures to figure out how to make it come together.


I love the tie up at the shoulder (holy crow how many chins do I have??)

feeling better

Sometimes getting a plan together and having a bit of a routine can do wonders for my soul. Like for example, making my bed every morning. It's a small one but forcing myself to do it somehow makes me breathe a bit easier. I LOVE my Ink & Spindle fabric in the frame. The Ink and Spindle girls actually had a go at me at the stitches and craft show when I told them I had framed the fabric - they did not get how precious it is to me.

I just recently made these pillowcases, at the time I was thinking what a crazy waste of such beautiful fabric, but I have changed my mind about that. Saving some things is fine, but being able to use and see your favourite things everyday makes more sense!


In keeping with my plans and routines right now (because it will all disappear once I am feeling on track) was taking Eva to the health food store and stocking up on tonics and homepathic remedies to help boost her immune system and stimulate her appetite (as she has lost weight unfortunately). Caring for her can feel too big for me sometimes so taking back control and forcing myself to make decisions on how I want to deal with it helps enormously.

I also forced myself to do some market sewing, even though it was the last thing in the world I wanted to do. I completed 4 pairs of shorts, 1 bib and 1 nappy cover and felt so good about that - I made a note to remember that the next time I felt like crap - completing a project gives you such sweet satisfaction.

So I traced a few patterns to reward myself for being such a good worker!

I am getting back to reading my favourite blogs and noticed that Corrie is having another giveaway, she is the most generous blogger I know! Also I realised last night that I won a giveaway I entered on Virtually Sally. That just made my day, $80 to spend on a new light - so generous, so kind, so unexpected.

Also, thank you to everyone who commented on my last post, thank you also for the emails I received - it means the world to me.

feeling a bit on the blah side...

Like our Sydney sky right now I am feeling a little on the blah side. Actually, I feel down, I don't want to make what I feel less than what it is but I know I do that because I never want to freak anyone out...I don't want to lose friends over my ever changing emotional state.

I have been taking anti depressants on and off since I was 17 (I am 33 now) and recently I have been on them continuously for about 2 1/2 years, that co-incides with then Eva came home from hospital after all her surgery. I was left feeling bereft, mourning the loss of having a normal baby, so desperately sad at my breastfeeding relationship cut short when I realised that she couldn't suck anymore, and having my dear husband working so hard, out of the house for so many hours of the day.


Some days I feel like a huge weight is sitting on my chest and I can't see around it. I can't function properly, I am distracted by the weight, I am worried about how long it will be there and then I am so guilty about how this affects my family. I shut myself off from friends and I generally turn inward.


I think this last bout of sadness is directly related to Eva being hospitalised. When she gets sick enough to go to hospital I wonder if she will die, I wonder if this will be all it takes to cause irrevocable damage to her heart. I realise that for a long time I had been enjoying Eva's wellness and then curse myself for being naive and stupid. I worry this will afflict her forever, will she struggle in school sport, will she be able to have a baby, will she be able to back pack around the world, be wild and reckless if she wants to.

I feel a very close connection to my blogging friends, I feel so happy and lucky to be part of your community, thank you for letting me in. I hope we will be in each others lives for a long time to come.

Hot and Not - Eva home!

HOT

* Healthy and happy kids at home!!

* Terrific inlaws bringing dinner and taking kids for the night.

* Friday - hello weekend!

NOT

* Sick Evie, pneumonia, hospital, hospital "beds"

* Crazy too hot weather.

* Kindergarten mums not pulling together.

Loobylu hosts this fun meme - check out some more hot n nots.

Eva - follow up

Eva is doing much better today. Thankfully her heart is not to blame for this current sickness (I realise how completely unprepared I was to go through all that again)!

She has a bacterial lung infection and is on IV antibiotics. Not sure when she will be home but she is going to be fine, that's all that matters.

Thank you for all your support. I can't wait to show Andrew all your comments, he will be so chuffed.

Eva

is sick and in hospital, probable lung infection, possible early heart failure. She is on IV antibiotics. Will be seeing cardiologist and lung doctors tomorrow.

Keep her in your prayers.

Fabric Collections I'm Loving!

Hope Valley - Denyse Schmidt - what else is there to say, everything this woman does is divine!



Spellbound by Pat Bravo - Every pattern in this collection is beautiful.


Germania by Jay McCarroll - for the sheer weirdness and randomness of the fabrics, the colours are awesome and all the germs have faces which makes it so cute!

What collections are you loving right now?

Hot and Not

HOT

* Eva greeting everyone today with "Ahoy there me hearties" - made me smile even if it left people a little bemused!

* The weather we are having right now, beautiful and hot but not too hot. I love daylight savings!

* ALDI - cheap Aussie fruit, cheap nappies, cheap everything!!

* Story time at the library, Eva is really getting into singing and stories and loves the craft.



NOT

* K Rudd's dealing with the assylum seekers on the Oceanic Viking - how long are you going to let it go on for?? One of the reasons I voted for you was because of your sympathetic view towards assylum seekers. Just bring them into the community and process them, it's not like we don't have any room!!

* Cranky and rude drivers, the further north you get on this penninsula the crankier the drivers, it sucks!

* Bloody Woolworths and Coles are getting more and more expensive.

* Christmas is gaining on me and I'm not ready!

Loobylu hosts this fun meme, go check out some more hot n nots!

A little more sewing

Yesterday was officially my sewing day, it was fun to put this little tunic top together for Lucia as it was made from about 3 different patterns so was a bit of a dot to dot and sometimes I was just winging it. You can't go wrong with something as basic as this though can you?

How relieved was I when Lucia exclaimed that she loved this fabric - gosh I was proud of her. I have had this fabric in my stash for a while and I originally wanted it for myself but I didn't have enough for what I wanted to make, I think it suits this vintage style tunic perfectly.
I was using a new technique of rolled hems, or as best I could do with my machine as I don't have an overlocker. I quite like it, it's not as neat as a regular hem but it is almost a feature of the dress I think.
And that cotton lace, just too pretty and SO crazy cheap at Spotty, like 50 c a meter or something!!

And this is my sewing space...yikes! Needs some work.