Christmas arrives early!!!

So this one time in India.....

I met this crazy chick called "Choppy" who happened to have just spent the night camped out in some dodgy back alley. Apparently they where supposed to meet up with us but the group she was with came in late and didn't know how to find our group.

Anywhoooo...long story short...it's one heck of a way to meet a new friend!

And years later it is that friend who reached out across hemispheres, through the country we first met in order to land this gorgeous little package on my doorstep in time for the holidays and to celebrate my renewed health for 2010!

She chose the green Tourmaline for healing and if I am not mistaken it is one of her designed pieces (Hey Babe...you gotta website??) I know she was once making these amazing vegan leather bags and purses.

The card is also from an artist friend of hers in Melbourne and I have to agree with her, Love the work. You can find her art here. Clare Whitney.

So thank you My Friend...you did indeed Pep me up!!!

And speaking of sleeping in alleyways...

Mervin monkey was 'dropped' today as part of the Toy Society's Global Christmas drop, and I am pleased to report he has been a very good monkey indeed. He was found by a homeless man, and the story is truly heartwarming. Journey well my little monkey! You can read his story here. "Mervin Monkey on walkabout"

Monkey on My Back!

So Hurricane Jax is out for the day and I had great plans to clean up the house prior to the Christmas madness.

Oh but wait...It's 2009!
How could I forget?!

This cheeky bloody monkey of a year causing chaos the world over.

In a final bid to be remembered well, it popped my house into darkness, my appliances into shutdown, and the oh so lovely sent of an electrical fire wafting through my first 5 minutes of peace!

Arggggg...

Just in case I hadn't got the message, I was met at my back door by a billowing cloud of smoke and fumes where my washing machine lay sheepishly awaiting a good swift kick up the backside!

Harrrrumph!

Well Plan B - madly race through the apartment tidying rather than cleaning in the hopes that the landlord (who just happened to be in the area and would be arriving in 15 minutes) wouldn't notice how disgraceful the place looked. Couldn't really blame the washing machine for everything!
Of course... a spanish 15 min. isn't exactly in keeping with swiss protocol so after waisting a good 45 min waiting, another 45 with the landlord and perhaps yet another just trying to find my to do list...I gave up. I'm much more productive with a needle and thread than a rag and mop anyways!

So here is the monkey off my back!

He's getting ready for the Toy Society's Big Global Christmas Drop this weekend.
If you haven't checked out their link from my side bar yet; I suggest you take a quick peak, it's a wonderful project.

Now if only I could drop 2009 as easily!!!

Quilting Me a Straight Jacket!

So this is what my creative space looked like last week!

After dragging my butt back into the drug den I decided to creatively fight back at this one. I went in armed with my dear friend Foxy, who not only came to hold my hand but was willing to take up the scizzors and battle some felt with me during my 4 hour stint in the little room of horror.

I was planning to couch hop over the weekend and attend a christmas party, so was madly trying to get some goodies finished for the kids. ( I did mention Chemo makes you slightly mad didn't I) So to the couch I went to overcome my side effects and my insane self induced crafting deadline.

I think they turned out pretty well, if I do say so myself.

And a big WhoooooBloodyRahhhhh, as not only did I not have to use that lovely shiny sickie bucket, but I also managed to attend said Christmas party only mildly feeling like an overgrown construction worker had hit me in the back of the head with a 2 x 4 plank!

C'est La Vie...

Good friends, Christmas cheer and a Bucks Fizz or 2 and I was happy enough to flip that Builder the Bird!

_________________________________

Another project I had on the go...

Ohhhhhhhh it's so delicious I just swoon every time I look at it.

I attended a rummage sale a few weeks ago and whilst Fhubby sat in the car with a snoring toddler,

I went searching for treasures....

and found

this!!!

Is She not Gorgeous!!!!!

You should have seen the look on Fhubbies face when I held her up in front of the windshield.... all beat up with broken dangly bits and 'no love' written all over her.

Fortunately my craziness amuses him!

And unfortunately for you, I misplaced my camera the day I started to deconstruct her so wasn't able to take a proper Before picture which truly would have given you a sense of just how much the Fhubby must love me!

Ok...she sure was scruffy, but..
"She followed me home Honey... we just have to keep her!!!

You'll have to stay tuned for her unveiling!

And yet another new project on the go (I told you I felt good the week before Chemo!!!) I had begun a new line of Shabby Chic Boutique Buntings.

I'm so excited to start digging into my fabric stash and start creating these!
Definitely on this weeks to-do list now that I'm back on my feet, and might just have to get crackin before that 'Final Round' date sneaks up on me.

Hmmmm, you might just see these again for that celebratory give-away. ?!?!?!

Right Oh...I got some work to do! Hasta Proxima Xo

Sharing, Caring, and Tantrums OH MY!

Today is Chemo number 5!
I DO NOT want to get in that chair!!!
And yet...It's one more mile on the road to the finish line...
But this Mama just wants to kick up a huge fuss, chuck a wobbly, drop my bottom lip and hope someone much stronger then my steroid rage will be able to throw me over their shoulder and drop me into it for my own good!

Harrumph!

But honestly, I feel great, (don't make me go!) I always feel great in the 3rd week after treatment.(oh I want to stay home!) I feel coherent (please) and focused (NO NO NO) and am crafting like a maniac ... seriously...grab some ear plugs cause I'm going in screaming!

So I didn't win the giveaway, darn it.
However I did happen to fall upon the motherload of all giveaways hosted by Sew Mama Sew!
So here I sit madly blog surfing and entering and posting comments and being inspired and wishing I had just a few more days of feeling great to get everything done, and wishing I had found the contest earlier to participate and share in the giving.


Well I didn't, so no giveaway from Choochmagooz this year. However, a lovely sense of calm came over me when I thought about entering the great giveaway next year.
Ahhhhh, Next year. How often I have uttered those words in the past 9 months as we've navigated this road through (H.E.double hockey sticks!)

Next Year I can travel again,
Next Year I'll relaunch the shop
Next year I'll have my memory back
Next Year I'll stop typing backwards
Next Year mummy can take you for a bike ride!

Next Year won't be taken for granted.

So although I have missed out in entering the great giveaway this year, I have decided in celebration of my FINAL Chemo treatment on Christmas Eve and the gift of a clean bill of health for the New Year, that I would start 2010 with a Giveaway of my own.

Check back the first week of January for your chance to win something special and to Celebrate with Me, Fhubby and Jax as we turn "Next Year"...into "Today!"

In the meantime if you're keen to win some fantastic goodies from all over the globe...head over to Sew,Mama,Sew and check out the Participants master list...make sure you're comfy, well fed and have gone to the loo, cause there's a whole lot to win!

Pick Me Pick Me...Oh OH oH..pick Me!!!

Ohhhhhhhh Great giveaways!

I mentioned my fabric addiction right?! Well fhubby is probably going to hit the roof if I buy any more at the moment so ya gotta love it when someone is offering it to you!

Mary-Jane of Sweet Emmelie, a blog I've been following for some time, is kind enough to offer these 2 gorgeous fabrics up for giveaway. So drop in, snuggle up for a lovely read, and drop a comment on her post for your chance to win too.

And if you're keen on giveaways...sign up as a follower to choochmagooz or leave me a comment and as soon as I see that there are actually people out there to throw a few things at...I'll be posting a giveaway of my own. (Besides the Gift Certificate I offered on Sat..I'll post that winner soon!)

Good Luck!

Together, We will beat Breast Cancer

So What are you doing tomorrow???

Come and get yourself pampered for a great cause, and find some lovely Choochmagooz goodies there too.

Sara's mother and I were coincidentally in the chop shop on the same day this year so it has touched her life quite profoundly. I am so glad that in the midst of all of this there is someone who can take up the cause and do something positive. Thank you also to Susie and Katie, and our own dear Cynthia who are working hard to bring you a wonderful day to help us fight together.

Hope to see you there!

Woodchuck Wednesday: Oh Sew Nice!

I've had my eye on these for a Woodchuck Wed. Feature for months, and I had to come back around and finally share.

As I'm coming closer to the end of my treatment days I'm beginning to think about the business again and getting some bounce back into my bungee. So I suspect my New Year is going to consist of alot of time spent behind my sewing machine. Now of course Jax doesn't mind this so much but she sure can destroy a place whilst mummy is distracted. Last session she managed to pull an entire pillow apart and had made 'Popcorn' out of the batting...apparently she thought a bowl wasn't necessary.

So I'm thinking that perhaps having her start 'sewing' alongside me would be a better option. And again....sorry my blood must be low on Maple Syrup...These are handmade by a Canadian Woodcrafter on Vancouver Island, who's Bio describes himself simply as Free and Happy. My kinda Artist!

You can find these little beauties here: WoodClinic

Build me a castle, I'll make you the King!

CrazyForts

Okay I´m not just shouting about these because they´re Canadian Designed, which knocks them up a notch due to homeland pride, but they're also truly cool which earns them a spot for Too Cool Tuesday.

The website features many blueprints for different designs as well as new interior spotlights for some way cool possibilities. And if you've come up with your own Crazy Fort design you can share it on their Facebook page to help inspire other little engineers.



Now I know most of us have memories of using our dining room table, 4 chairs and perhaps the ironing board to make our cubbies... but who wants to dismantle their Camelot for dinnertime?!

bonus feature: They're available in Spain!!!...just follow the links on their website. CrazyForts.com

Too Cool!

Surfin Saturday - part duex

What to do when you're stuck inside with a nasty cold and the Fhubby is at the Zoo with a pint size monkey. Web Surfin!!! My favorite sport...no bumps, bruises or raggedy ol' bone crunching to fear.

I found these at a strange little blog called house of Onika which is an Interior design blog that strangely had no reference on how to contact them or where to buy this stuff?! Perhaps I had my helmet on too low...cause I saw nada! They had some cool stuff though so look em up if you'd like and let me know if you see anything.

Anywho...what of it...you know me, It's not liked I'd actually BUY it. No way, better to go over the top and make it myself. Of course seeing is believing right, and I still haven't shown you her finished kitchen. (Hey tranquila, tranquila...I only just figured out my new camera and the fact that the poor autofocus was in fact poor-manual-mama-function..uhhh duh..thx for wiping the lens Fhub!)

So anyway...I reckon these are going to have to wait some time until we eventually move into the palace...aka..barn...big enough to house all my grand ideas. But I thought I'd share them with you anyways cause I Love, Love, Love em!

Happy Saturday!

Happy Halloween from under the Sea!

So we have a serious water baby in our house. If it was up to her, Jax would spend her life in the water. So it wasn't a surprise when asked what kind of costume she wanted mummy to make her, a mermaid was the first thing she thought of.

And remember that craziness I was talking about...Well I reckon I need to be taken out back and locked in the shed cause I really hit the overboard button on this one!



First Jax and I picked out some scallop shells we had in our collection and after mummy drilled the holes we went to work painting them and gluing on the baubles and beads. Of course I meant to make both of them for her "Boobie Bar'ras" but only one would fit so we had some serious fast talkin to do...and decided to add the other to a matching treaty bag. (Mention treaties and she'll forgive you for anything!)

Then I began the scales,

and more scales,

and more scales.....

and did I mention the scales!

OMG, here's where I really started to question my sanity.
And of course began thinking of every bribery tactic in the repertoire just in case she decided to pull one of those typical 3 yr old moments and refuse to wear it.

Fortunately....She loved it and was very happy showing off her tail.

And fortunately again...here in Spain we have Carnival coming up, so all that work wasn't for one night only...

I mean really...
That would be CRAZY!

Not quite the stuff we kids grew up on!!!

Whoaaaaa Mildred...that's one heck of a cocktail!

So I'm having a wild flashback... one of those I can't believe I had the figure to wear THAT, and hey check out the Ta-Ta´s...holy perky...Well hello goodlookin, Sure I'd love a cocktail, Killer Koolaid please, Sweet!..23 yr old kinda flashback.

Unfortunately..This flashback has come with it's own hangover!


Oh wait I'm not dreaming, I'm stuck smack in the middle of treatment land, 3 down and 3 to go.. not quite la la land but darn near close to it.

So here's the low down...Chemo makes you crazy..seriously, if the steroids don't get ya, then the memory loss is sure to finish the job. I'd live in a post-it note wallpaper hell but I can't remember where I put the post it notes...so forget it.

So far the side effects are manageable, not pleasant certainly, but manageable.

See that nice ol' needle there...notice the water bottle and computer charger in the background...That Ain't no small thing that!!! But hello anti nausea drug....you go on and be as big as you want!!!

And then there is that Killer Koolaid itself...my toxic drip, really...not as bad as it sounds considering the job it's doing...but the 4 day hangover....well if I can flashback to the hangover that a few rounds of the original cocktail would induce back in my twenties, I'd have to say it's probably more on par if I'd had more than a few rounds... staggered out of the pub....walked full tilt into the nearest lightpost... bounced back...staggered off the sidewalk... and done a barrel roll off the hood of a VW. Not that I've ever had a personal experience of that magnitude...but man can I imagine it now!

And the number one side effect...of course...I've gone to the Bald side!

Seriously though...it's pretty cool over here...you get to be as crazy as you want AND...they've got cookies (shhhh...that's a secret!...thx JammiPammi)


Stay tuned for some crazy tales from the bald side....it's been one hell of a ride!

Let them Eat Cake!

Introducing the latest trend in Leisure wear!....at least that's what it seemed to me as I underwent 3 surgeries in less than 2 months!
It's been an interesting ride so far. I underwent a unilateral Mastectomy (removal of just the right breast) with no reconstruction (channeling my amazonian sista's) and a sentinel node biopsy in which they just removed the first lymph node. I awoke to cheery faces and the good news that my lymph node was clear of stray cancer cells.

So with Fhubby, my mum, her friend Denyse and good friends around I was able to manage recovery quite swiftly considering. And must have had some good drugs cause I decided that getting my hair chopped 3 days out of hospital would be a good idea as well! Fhubby wasn't too pleased unfortunately as he thought I was looking mighty fine and had to get back on a plane that afternoon and return to the boat!!! oops! Well there´s always Skype!

Jump forward 1 week and I was feeling pretty good...only to be met with the news at my regular doc visit, that a 3rd test was preformed on the lymph node...(well who the bleedin heck said that 3 times is the charm!!!) Sorry to say, but they did in fact find cancer cells in the node which would qualify me the lucky winner of another trip to the chop shop! This time to remove the lymph nodes from under my right arm. Never mind the lack of coordination in movement I was about to face...do you know how difficult it is to coordinate time for all this stuff when your Fhubby is away, your mum and friend are about to depart back to Canada, and your daughter is about to turn 3!!! Thank goodness my Doc has a sense of humor! We immediately made arrangements for a relief engineer to cover for Fhubby and he was on a flight back by the end of the following week, which gave me just enough time to execute a birthday party for Jax which would take place the day before my 3rd and hopefully final surgery.

Now of course when I started this blog it was intended to be a blog about crafts and art and everything fun. I had not intended for cancer to sabotage it! But now I have a blog about Breast Cancer and crafts...weird. Crafting however, is my therapy so you'll have to forgive me if you think I went a little overboard with her party decorations! But big thanks to Mum and Denyse who helped all the way through and didn't mind taking my scatter brained instructions. So here's a few pics from the hurricanes 3rd birthday extravaganza... (will post some of her finished kitchen pics as soon as I get a new camera!!!)


Oh and as for results from the surgeries...all subsequent lymph nodes came back clear as well as my recent bone scan. So now we've just got the Chemo to get through and will let ya know how that is going as we progress...

Crafts and Cancer???! ....oh well!

Get fresh Squeezed!

This poster just made me Laugh, which is a good thing as I needed one today. It´s available from Cafe Press and I highly suggest all you gals get one and put it up in your bathroom, boudoir or anywhere you´re likely to have your girls out neckid as a reminder to do a quick check!

So 2 days ago I left my doctors office with the news that I had officially been initiated into the Ta-Ta Sisterhood. It appears that not only was the lemon sour, but somehow it was left to ferment a bit too long. My official diagnosis is IDC or Invasive Ductal Carcinoma. So much for it´s just cysts and fibrous tissue! I´ll most likely be slow on the blog front over the next few weeks as I rest and recover from my Mastectomy scheduled for this coming Tuesday.

When I was a young girl my father and I had the chance to ride in a hot-air balloon courtesy of a friend who had won it on a radio program. Along for the ride was a woman and her 80 yr old mother. Now to a kid, 80 is far out there old (sorry...but true) so the fact that she was up there taking a thrill ride made quite an impression. Imagine how gobsmacked I was to hear that she was scheduled to go hang-gliding the following weekend. Holy WOW Grandma you got some big bazoongaz!!! (or at least that´s what went through my head)

I will never forget that day. That day determined the course of my life. On that day, I vowed to be That woman. I didn´t make 10 or 20 yr plans...I didn´t say that I wanted to have a house and a car and a husband by the age of 30. On that day I vowed that by the age of 80 I wanted to be able to say that I had lived life to the fullest, no matter what, the good and the bad, I wanted to experience it, embrace it and Live it! I suppose in retrospect I probably should have added some fine print in there, but such as it is, this is my life...this is part of my experience.

I will face it, I will fight it and when I am 80 I will be able to say...I Lived it!

(And perhaps I´ll inspire some other pimple faced kid to utter under their breath...Holy Wow Granny..you got some big Bazoonga!)

Too Cool Tuesday, Go Green!

Now that has got to be one of the coolest things ever produced from recycled plastic bottles!

Jax is in a bit of an engineering spurt at the moment, she wants to build or help build just about everything (hmmmm, where does she get that from?) So I can imagine she would be nuts over this...not to mention hours of fun for the Fhubby...hmmm...

Fun for Jax + Hours of daddy/daughter time = What? Free time for Mumma?!!! Go On.
Now that justifies the price tag!

Check them out at Sparkability. Recycled and Green (literaly) Too Cool!

Cancer sucks!

Well I just couldn´t think of any other title!
I was hoping for my pathology reports today and unfortunately have to wait until next Tuesday. Apparently they´re running several new tests on the lemon and they´re going to take a little longer. Best be thorough I suppose, but this waiting is driving me crazy. So all I can say really is ¨Cancer Sucks!¨ even without a diagnosis, this process is horrendous.

However...What Really Sucks.... Cancer in children

It breaks my heart and puts my situation into perspective for me. So I wanted to share a story with you today. It´s about Cancer, lemonade and a truly inspirational little girl.

Alexandra "Alex" Scott was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma, a form of childhood cancer, shortly after her first birthday. She was a determined, strong willed toddler who by the age of 4 informed her mother that she wanted to hold a lemonade stand in her front yard. She wasn´t hoping for pocket money to buy some lollies at the shop, or even for new toys, she wanted to give the money to her doctors to help them find a cure.

At the age of 8 in 2004, Alex passed away with the knowledge that she and her supporters had raised over $1 million.

Today, Alex´s legacy lives on in the form of Alex´s Lemonade Stand Foundation, and has raised more than $25 million.

Now that´s making lemonade!

So make yourself a glass, then drop into their site and drop some change (or more) into their donation jar. Because until NO child is suffering from cancer, it will never be enough!

Woodchuck Wednesday

How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?? Well I have no idea as I´ve never actually asked a woodchuck. But I have discovered fabulous wood workers who might be able to ask for us!

In my quest to go plastic free I´ve been scouring the globe looking for fantastic, unique, imaginitive toys for Jax. These gorgeous wood sprites are at the top of my wish list!

As a child myself, whenever we went camping, I would spend hours in the woods playing under a tree creating little villages and homes for the fairies and sprites I imagined lived there. How precious if one of these had been hiding under the leaves with a small offering. Ya know...I always believed....and here they are!



Find your own special sprite or fairy at the Syrendell shop and bring home a little magic today!

Too Cool Tuesday!

Okay so all this sitting around recovering is making me bored, bored, bored!

So I thought I´d share with you one of the coolest things we´ve ever found on the web.

Mr. McGroovy´s Box Rivets

Everyone knows that the box is often times favoured over the toy it holds and kids will spend hours turning an ordinary box into the most amazing things. Add Mr. McGroovey´s box rivets and you´ve got some unbelievable possibilities! Check out their customers photo gallery for some incredible ideas.

Need to find boxes? Those of you local probably already know that around 8pm the Sindicat is packed with everyones boxes ready for pick up. Free and recyclable. Alternatively you can always check with your local appliance store as well as I´m sure they´ve got stacks in the back too!

I came across these way back before Jax was even sitting up for herself so of course they weren´t exactly age appropriate at the time. Poor Fhubby has been patiently waiting...and waiting...and waiting... and as she is fast approaching Big Girl status, I think it´s about time we get on to ordering a box or Ten!

Of course this really won´t help my boredom at the moment, but it´s nice to think that I´ll actually be functioning again soon and have some cool projects in the works.

When Life deals you lemons...

Jeeze...cliff hanger, sorry about that!
Kind of left you after scheduling appointments with my new Doctor and forgot to get back and update!
Well, my new doctor is Lovely. She looked over all of my records and tests, arranged to get a copy of my biopsy report, and within 3 days had me scheduled for a lumpectomy to suit my schedule (fhubby home, childcare...all that rabble) We chose to go for a full lumpectomy rather than another biopsy so that we would have 100% certainty when it came to the pathology report.

So here I am, out of surgery, home resting, fhubby cooking, cleaning and child minding, with nothing to do but reflect on this whole experience and wait for my final results.

So I have been thinking a lot about sisterhood.
I distinctly recall the strange sensation of having joined an exclusive and secret group when I was pregnant with Jax. Everywhere I went I received little smiles and nods and out of what seemed like nowhere came the mothers of the world. Wow who knew this existed?! It wasn´t until I had actually given birth that I felt fully initiated into this sisterhood of Mothers.

And now I find myself standing on the edge of the TaTa Sisterhood, Brave and courageous women touched by Breast Cancer, those battling fiercely and those surviving. And just as before I find myself in awe of the strength and power of this sisterhood. I do not want initiation into this group, no one does, but control is not ours. And I am grateful for these sisters for their guidance, their support and their words of knowledge and encouragement.

So today I am making that lemonade....Sour or sweet, you may add sugar as you like. And I raise my glass in honour of women everywhere, Sisters.

ps. Stay tuned for Thursdays results: When I´ll be adding either vodka...or champagne!

What Kind of Net would catch a fickle muse???

Yes I know I have been neglecting my poor infant blog, it´s been a bit hectic around here and I needed some much needed rest. I also needed to paint...I never know when or why that urge hits me but as my muse is fickle I tend to jump up and grab the paintbrush asap before she changes her mind. So I pulled out some wee chipboard letters that we bought for Jax on a trip to Australia and finally decided to do something with them. I think they turned out rather nicely (excuse the shameless patting of my own back!) and I can´t wait to hang them in her room. Of course I´m still waiting for my muse to get up enough gusto to attack her walls but so far she´s being really, Really lazy about that!

Another project I have been neglecting is Jax play kitchen. We decided against the plastic shop bought versions and started looking for really nice wood ones. Well, there´s certainly many to choose from these days but the prices are ridiculous, and I can´t stand ridiculous pricing! Especially on something that is still manufactured. So instead we bought some kids shelving units and after making templates for the doors and counters we passed it along to a local woodworking friend to help us out. (bottles of wine are soooo much better as payment in my book!) So whilst I had the paints out, let the projects commence! I suppose posting about it will be good incentive to get it finished and show you some final results, with luck...before her 3rd Birthday.

Right, now as we´re on the topic of neglect, I suppose I should also update you all on ¨Lemongate¨ After a week of waiting for my biopsy reports I finally broke down and called the doctor and demanded some answers... ¨Well, have you had your MRI yet, you need to have this as soon as possible as you have a malignancy and we need to get you into surgery¨ Nice....don´t try to cushion that news or anything... so I asked what exactly the Biopsy reported...what KIND of cancer where we dealing with???.¨Well I don´t know, I don´t have the results here so call me back in 1 hour and I´ll find out¨ HUH???

So after one of the longest hours of my life I called back only to find out that the results of the 7 samples he took were in fact NEGATIVE but still suspicious, huh?? Well that could be due to the fact that he used my 2007 Mammo´s to get the core samples and was probably just stabbing around at the original mass of nothing.

To top it all he insisted he did not have my new records and that he had given them back to me in the O.R. Well no dingbat...those would be the 2007 ones you gave me. Argggg

So to make a long story short, I proceeded to pick up my new records from His office, undergo the MRI at a New hospital, and find a New doctor whom I will be seeing this Wednesday to go over all results and hopefully...Hopefully...get some straight answers. I´ll keep ya posted!

Surfin Saturdays!

Today whilst Jax naps I´ve been doing a little craft surfing, more or less to keep me from googling the scary stuff I don´t need to know just yet!

One of my favorite sites to follow is thelongthread by Ellen in Atlanta, She more or less is the reason I decided to begin blogging in the first place and I love her style and creativity.

Through her tutorial section I found a link to these gorgeous shabby chic pom pom balls from Molly Chicken (another great blogger!) Best of all they´re completely upcycled using all the salvage bits of fabric that usually end up in the trash (okay not in my house...I keep everything, so they´re usually in a heap on the counter or lucky enough to have found a place in a fishy cracker container, otherwise known as the waiting place!)

I can´t wait to try these as I´ve started a bit of a shabby chic obsession! To try them yourself you can find Molly Chickens great tutorial here. And for other great ideas be sure to check out thelongthreads tutorial sections!

Now I best stop surfing and get myself ready for the birthday party this afternoon, else Hurricane Jax is going to be up and spinning at full velocity and I´ll have to explain how Pyjamas really are the newest trend in party wear!

Happy Saturday!

Blood, Sweat and yes, the occasional Tear.

Today I need a little therapy!  After a week of, Biopsies, X-rays, ultrasounds, Surgeons, Insurance providers, and Appt booking...not to mention a little trip to the post office to pay my forgotten phone bill....I´m in serious need of a little me time.  Hurricane Jax is out at the Aquarium for the morning so it´s just me and my madness left to fend for ourselves!

One could go crazy when waiting for results!  Fortunately, My mother (who is probably on the other side of the globe also going crazy) gave me the greatest gift of all in the battle against stress.  Creativity!!! Idol hands can make for an idol head and an idol head can dream up all sorts of ugliness in stress mode.  So I´m giving my head a shake and choosing to create something beautiful instead, full of happy colours, fun stitching and cheery intentions.  It´s a birthday present for a special 1 yr old who´s birthday we´re attending tomorrow.  

I know that I could probably just reach into my stash of already created items, however I just felt the need to actually do something today.  And I can think of no better thing than hand making a gift.  I Love handmade items (suppose that is obvious!) It´s not just the end result though...It´s the character that goes into an item, it´s the love and the thought, it´s the intention of the person making it.  I have several items around the house made for me and cherished over the years, I can envision how each person made them and what they were probably doing at the time.  What I hadn´t thought about was just how theraputic making these items can be, and possibly just how true is the statement that my blood , sweat and tears went into that! 

Now off to give the sewing machine a thrashing...Ahhhhhhhhh who needs Xanax?!

Completed Treasure Box

I still haven´t figured out how to imbed updated photo´s into the original post so a separate post will have to do for now.

Want to make your own Treasure Box

First, you´ll probably want to get a large bowl of warm sudsy water and wash rags ready because you will be getting messy (I think I used my fingers rather than the paintbrushes most of the time!) I have a giant stash of rags cut from Jax´ol too old to pass along diaper shirts.

We used a round box from the craft store but any lidded box will do (kids shoe boxes are perfect and a great way to upcycle, but I hadn´t collected enough yet!)

Then I found some colorful party napkins for the decoupage, you will need to separate these down to just the colour layer as there are usually 4 layers of tissue or more. Again - want an eco friendly upcycled version, use comics from the paper, old book and magazine pages.

Next we covered our boxes in white glue (I recommend thinning this with water for easier spread) and positioned our tissue paper and cut outs as we liked. Lightly spread them down with a layer of glue on top also, this takes a delicate touch as the tissue can tear easily.

And finally, we used glitter paints (this can be done first also, when the kids just can´t wait to paint!) and glued treasures (use thick glue) on the lid and sides (remember if you are gluing items to the side that you leave space at the top for the lid to be replaced)

Of course most of our treasure boxes were completed by the moms as the kids got distracted by some sunshine and outdoor fun, but it´s our fun too! We more or less completed our lids first so that the kids got the whole process before their attention spans wandered.

Yes the wine is for mummies...the sippie cups are the kids!

Life is to be Treasured

Today is Dirty Friday!

Yay.....we Love Dirty Friday!

And no Not that kind of dirty!.....Today is the day we gather with good friends and let the kids get Messy, Dirty and paint splattered. It´s our favorite kind of day. Our other favorite kind of day is hunting for treasures. Lovely strolling quiet mornings spent at the sea side wondering what the waves have brought us this time. Forget the sound of the waves....I´m forever hearing the familiar sound of sea shells clanging in my washing machine from forgotten pant pockets!

Unfortunately today is also a day I have spent hours trying to sort out some urgent health issues and medical appointments. You see I am in the process of determining whether or not the Lemon sized mass in my breast, which was okay last year but seems to have wandered off the table this year, is in fact an okay Lemon, or a very sour one. For lack of a better way to put it! I won´t go into mumbo jumbo medical terms, and I´m not putting this out there for any sort of sympathy vote (anyone who knows me would agree that I´m just too forward and practical for that...I´m also Canadian remember...which means I´ll feel bad if I´ve made you feel bad and then we´ll both feel bad without knowing what to say to each other and then who the hell is going to make the lemonade!?) Anywhoooo...I´ve had several friends rally around recently who really make me smile. They make me laugh and take my mind off the worry and don´t mind if I make poor taste jokes to keep myself upbeat. They are my Treasures.

Everyday I am thankful for the treasures that have washed upon my shores, My dear supportive, funny, quirky, StarWars Nerd Fhubby, my grubby, happy, seriously funny hurricane head Jax, my Family on both sides of the hemisphere, and my wonderful friends both near and far.

In honour of these we are making Treasure Boxes tonight for Dirty Friday. Special little treasure keepers for the grubs to build their own collections. For every shell and twig and rock is usually found in a special moment and a box full of memories and love is the best treasure of all!

I´ll update with some photo´s of their creations after we´ve swept the last of the mess under the rug!

The "Stuff" dreams are made of

My Entire life I have been making "Stuff" - art stuff, clay stuff, wood stuff, macaroni bead stuff! You name it, I have probably attempted it. My mother was an artist and crafter and my father a woodworking enthusiast. There weren´t too many days that went by that I wasn´t helping with their projects. It appears to have rubbed off on me!

Now I enjoy creating with my own little helper. She´s especially good at preparing canvases and cranking out felt shapes, however her favorite is definitely product testing.

Tired of expensive dresses that would be worn only twice before being outgrown, I began sewing my first few dresses that will last her well into her 5th and 6th year. Oh how a fabric addiction can grow!!! I somehow managed to fall in love with each one that I created but knew that she could not possibly wear them all, so I decided to share and set a good example. And with that...my little shop was created.

Well Jax wasn´t satisfied with just pretty dresses and she soon began requesting fun things too. And so my little shop grew, adding fairy wands and ribbon rings, and princess crowns, paintings and decor items, and and and... My head is creating faster than my hands!

My hope is to continually expand our items and offer you quality, unique handcrafted fun for your little ones and their friends, and even you big kids! to enjoy for years to come.

Why a blog and not a website?... Well I´m a firm believer that the journey is all part of the fun!

I´ll be adding links to our items, and hoping to keep you up to date on projects as we go. Join us for a bumpy ride full of giggles!

Gorgeous Fabrics available from Sandi Henderson