Tutu Cute

I've been busy making some Christmas presents - tied tutus. They are so easy to make and so effective.

Here is a quick how to for one to fit up to approx 5 years old:

*You will need at least 2.5 metres total of soft 150cm wide tulle in the colours of your choice. The more tulle you use, the boofier it will be and fit a bigger waist.

*You will also need a piece of elastic to fit the waist of the wearer ( I cut mine approx 48cm) and sew the ends together by overlapping them.

*Alternatively you can simply use a piece of ribbon long enough to go around the waist and

enough to tie into a lovely bow.

*I then fold it in half lengthwise and run my scissors down the fold to give two strips.

*Pop them one on top of each other and cut them into 10cm wide strips. If you can find something to use as a guide it is a big help. My pine floorboards happen to be the right width so I line up the cut edge on one side of of a floorboard and use the line of the other side I can see

through the tulle as my cutting line.

*Now with all your strips cut, its time to start tying. Its a simple knot but the challenge is trying to get the ends to stay level if thats the look you want.

Some tutorials say to stack a few layers together and tie them together. This would create a nice full skirt but it would take a lot more tulle as you still need to cover the whole band in knots.

*Now here is how to tie

*I do mine in a regular pattern but thats my anality coming through until the whole band is covered. I find it takes about 50 strips at least.

*You could finish it off by trimming the ends if you like and with a flower or bow stitched to the front

*I have seen them done very short and very boofy which looks lovelt and is the more traditional dancing tutu. Using a stiffer tulle would make this type stick out more.

Now please let me know if this inspires you!

For Lee

I spied this over at a new blog I've come across, Just Something I've Made, and immediately thought of Lee from Glimpse of Style.

http://justsomethingimade.blogspot.com/2009/09/copper-metallic-gourd-embellishing.html

Image via JSIM

Now Lee, I don't really think of you as a crafting type of a person but with your recent interest in knitting, you never know what might inspire you.

Kitchen Idea love.

The new movie Julie and Julia is all the talk at the moment. Apparently its a wonderful movie. What has been noted though is Julia Child's kitchen. After all our kitchens are a workspace so why should they not be organised like one, hence Julia's pegboard which her husband made for her.

Image via Smithsonian.com

Each pot and pan has its shadow outline drawn so it always goes back in the right place. Even the pegboard colour is lovely.

I have an aversion to stacking pots as I invariably want the one on the bottom so this is a perfect solution for me. Now to renovate a kitchen and figure out how to work it in...

Julia donated her kitchen to the National Institute of American History but her pegboard was at a different institution in California until being reunited recently which coincided with the release of the movie.

Playdoh recipe edit

I just wanted to let you know I've edited the playdoh recipe as I realised I'd missed an ingredient. This is the actual recipe:

Microwave Playdoh

1 cup plain flour

1/4 cup salt

2 tbsp Cream of Tartar

1 tbsp cooking oil

1 cup hot tap water

food colouring

Sift dry ingredients together

If you want to colour the whole batch add colourng to water

Add in liquids and stir well

Cook on high in microwave for 30 second increments, stirring between each.

Its ready when it forms a ball and is not sticky.

Let cool a little

Turn out and knead on surface for a minute to make a nice soft dough.

If the mix isn't coloured, you can knead in colour now.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge to prolong its life

Reheat on very low for 1 minute ot warm and soften if required

Gift ideas #4

Oh how could I forget! My eldest will be getting his first bike! There are great ones with a push handle which controls the steering but unfortunately they are too small for my tall boy.

Gift ideas - found!

I've found one of my gift idea's! Soccer nets and at a nice price too. Available from Sam's Warehouse. I'm off to get a set today to put away for gift time.

Gift Ideas #3

A quick idea for Christmas for the rellies kids. Seeing as I have to post them over, I could make a batch of playdoh as I have a lovely and smooth recipe, colour it up a few different ways and parcel it up with some tools and the recipe.

Incase you are interested, my great recipe is from one of my friends.

1 cup plain flour

1 /4 cup salt

2 tbsp Cream of Tartar

1 tbsp cooking oil

1 cup hot tap water

food colouring

Sift dry ingredients together

If you want to colour the whole batch add colourng to water

Add in liquids and stir well

Cook on high in microwave for 30 second increments, stirring between each.

Its ready when it forms a ball and is not sticky.

Let cool a little

Turn out and knead on surface for a minute to make a nice soft dough.

If the mix isn't coloured, you can knead in colour now.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge to prolong its life

Reheat on very low for 1 minute ot warm and soften if required

Gift Ideas #2

I'm gathering idea's for gifts for my own boys who will be 2 in August and 4 in February with Christmas in between.

The first two I have 'stolen/borrowed' these idea's for gifts for my own boys from the blog Two Straight Lines.

Kids sized gardening tools (available from Big W)

Butterfly nets ( still looking for these)

A larger slide than the 2 ft high one we have ( haven't looked for this yet)

A set of soccer goals that are moveable and we can pack away ( nor this)

Build a sandpit. I like this one from Ohdeedoh

There were more I know.... but I can't think of them right now

Gift ideas #1

With birthdays and Christmas galloping towards us, I am starting to collect ideas.

I think I might make this for one of my boy's cousins who has their 3rd birthday just before Christmas.

Image via Ohdeedoh

The cone is made from brown felt or card, strawberries from red felt, banana's from yellow, cherries are small red pompoms, the icecream scoops are differnt coloured large pompoms and brown wool for chocolate sauce. As this is for a 3 year old who has a 1 year old sister, I will ommit the sequins for sprinkles.

All via Ohdeedoh

What to do, what to do......?

My eldest has started back at daycare today. he used to go to a community daycare one day a week before we moved interstate ( 9 months ago now - doesn't time fly?). We felt it really helped his development as he has a language delay so we have put him in for one day a week here. I've rung the centre and they said he is doing fine, which is what I expected. He is a very flexible child and not much perturbs him. The ladies at the center seem lovely too and I like their set up of lots of activities that the kids can go between as the fancy takes them interspersed with structured things like stories and dancing.

Now back to my question - What to do?

My youngest son still has a nap of a couple of hours during the middle of the day. This leaves me with a dilemma. Should I use this time to blitz the housework and do those things that you just can't do with 2 small boys running around, like wash the floors, or should I use this as 'me' time to sit and read a book, magazine or do something else I no longer get the time to do (Oh to watch a movie or sew!)?

I know I probably should use it as 'me' time but I can't relax knowing there are the other chores to do, so I think it will be housework time for a few weeks until I get on top of it and actually finish unpacking! Maybe I can start to get more housework done in the 2 hours between dropping one off at daycare and going to playgroup with the other, then I won't feel so bad about doing what I want to do.

Favourite photo's

I've been tagged by Janelle at Nellbe's Scribblings

It's really simple. I love how every photo tells a story. Some short stories, some long tales. I want to know what is your favourite photo of yourself. Everyone has one. The photo they look at and smile. It reminds them of something, some time, some place. A moment in time.

So share the photo, share the story and then tag three other people. I want to see photos and stories all around the blogosphere.

There are so many to choose from - ones of the kids, wedding photo's, ones from my teenage years which remind me of lots of fun days but this has to be one of my all time favourites. Just a simple pic of me and my Dad on our cousins farm. They've since sold the farm so that brings a tinge of sadness, but its lovely to see my dad looking lovingly down at me. He isn't a very outwardly affectionate man, but this photo reminds me of how much he really does care.

I'm meant to tag 3 more people but I'm not a tagger. I like to blog without obligation and I don't want to pressure others into feeling like they should either. If you'd like to blog about your favourite photo, please let me know.

Blog This: Challenge #4

Random Acts of Kindness.

If you could name one small gesture someone else has made that had a big impact on your life, what would it be?

That is a reasonably easy one to answer for me. I don't think it was intended as a RAOK but more of a " I've just moved to this town and I want you to come too".

One of my great friends moved interstate and we were talking on MSN, like we did most days. I was saying how unhappy my hubby was in his job and this is how the conversation went:

Her: Oh they are always looking for teachers over here

Me: Oh yeah, where?

Her : Here ( link attached)

I opened the link and it was my husbands dream job. It closed the next day so we threw together an application overnight and emailed it across. A phone interview later and he was offered the job which they made a permenant position rather than a 1 year contract as advertised, to secure his services. We moved 6 weeks later.

That was September last year and 9 months on we have settled into our community and bought our first family home.

Funny (sad funny that is) thing is that now I actually talk to my friend less even though she is only a few blocks away. Life gives and takes away doesn't it....

Giveaway time!

No, not I sorry, but if you go over to Swish and Swanky, she has a wonderful giveaway from Dandi. All you need to do is have a look at Dandi's wonderful products and comment in the Swish and Swanky post which is your favourite.

I think the adult Pini Aprons are divine. What a way to add a little glamour to your daily chores!

Olive Branch Adult Pini Apron in Pistachio

Blog This Challenge #3. Its the little things..

Challenge 3:
Photographic Challenge - "It's the little things".

Simple, everyday things which make your life a pleasure.
Limit of 10 images...no minimum. You don't have to be a fabulous photographer, just have fun.
No words required, let your photos tell the story...

I didn't mean for this to end up being mostly about my kids but thats how it ended up!

Kids Art

Image via The Long Thread

What a wonderful way to save and display your kids artworks?! I stumbed across this and a wonderful blog at The Long Thread as I was searching for a recipe for edible playdough ( that wasn't the peanut butter and dry milk one). These are made by Love.

I think this reinforces my idea of scanning in or photographing all of my kids artworks as I'm sure they are going to soon start flooding in from Daycare, Kinder and School. Then I have the choice of reporducing it how I want and it is forever imortalised.

Blogger I blame YOU!

I hereby officially blame Blogger for my lack of time to do the other things that I should or could be doing.  I have a 6 month backlog of my magazine subscriptions to catch up on let alone the new blogs that I find all the time that interest me and all the wonderful ideas that I get from them!  

I'm really starting to get information overload.  Seeing as I'm already someone who must invetigate all the options available and have a slightly adictive personality - this is not a good thing.

Blog This:

I've joined an blogging group Blog This.

 

I can't think of a better way to explain it than what is on the site:

"A new network for Australian bloggers who want to have a little fun, make some new bloggy friends and gain a little exposure for their blogs. It looks a little dull right now, but we're working on it.

Each Friday we will have a new blog topic, suggested by our members. It could be as simple as posting your favourite recipe, or as involved as a week long photographic challenge. Sometime during the week, make the post on your blog, then respond here with one word."

It sounds like fun but I only hope I can come up to the standard of some of the other wonderful blogs out there.

I'm looking forward to next weeks challenge.  Its quite reasonable too for sporadic bloggers like me that you do not have to complete every challenge.

If you want to join, head on over to Blog This: and follow the instructions

Another task for Hubby

I do like this concept but the reviews on this particuar product from this particular supplier are not good as to the quality of the product, so I think it will be a project for hubby.  I'll make the bags in different colours so that its easy for the kids to help sort lights, darks/reds, and colours.  Then once each bag is full, there is a laundry load.  (the top his hinged too).  

Its raining...

..its pouring, my little man is snoring.

Why is it that I always have a couple of kids songs that get stuck in my head when I do somethings?  One is the one above when it rains and the other is when I am hanging out the washing... "Wet washing hanging on the line, drying very quickly when the weather's fine" - which it isn't right now hence the first song.

Hopefully it will keep the little man snoring.  He is a terrible sleeper.  Probably of my own making as his older brother is a light sleeper so we always ran to him as a bub to keep him from waking his brother.

So what to do today?  Lots of things I could be doing, that I should be doing... but will I? Probably not.  I think I might just make a nice warm cup of tea and sit and catch up on some magazine reading.  I might even look through a fandeck for paint colours.

What are the odds the little man will wake as soon as the kettle boils though?

An idea for next time

Image via Ohdeedoh

I have to bottle feed my bubs due to medication I am on, so when I saw these bottles, I thought I have to file that away for later  (you know, just incase).  My first bub had reflux so I used the older style angled Tommee Tippee bottles and then they released the Closer to Nature breast shaped range which have been a great success with my second bub.  If we were to have a third, we'd be ready for new bottles so these might be the go as they are free from all the nasties and help prefent colic and reflux as bub doesn't have as much chance of swallowing air, the same as the breast.