Still sick...

I feel as if a heard of hippos have been dancing on my tummy and inside of my head.

Sick...

Peekaboo! It is Fiona (above), Christina's twin filling in for her. Christina is sick in bed - the poor darling has what Cohen had - but she didn't want to miss a day of Blogtober. Being her identical twin I thought it would be okay if I posted something in her place. So here is a picture of me at GOMA this year amid a forrest of fur sculptures. Get better soon beautiful Christina - your posts are much better than mine!!! Love you. PS. Cohen is all better now.

My Creative Space...

We had a fitful sleep last night.

Cohen, because he was sick and could keep nothing down.

Myself because I went to sleep in the spare room to be closer to Cohen. I was unable to sleep however, listening out for my sick baby and not being in my own bed.

Hubby, who was woken up when I needed help, changing Cohen while I cleaned up and changed the sheets, only to have the baby be sick on him too.

Today Cohen has kept down a little food and breast milk and I am none the wiser as to whether he was suffering from a tummy bug, or if it was something he was given to eat by a well meaning family member? It breaks your heart, doesn't it.

Creativity is a little thin on the ground right now, but as promised, the progress of the frilly yarn...

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My Creative Space, thanks to Kirsty.

My place and yours...

On the shelf...

Which is really on the step cabinet - very old books passed down through the family, a carved wooden hippo from the markets, a head sculpture we brought in Athens and carried around in our back backs until we got it home.

And a very small collection of the vintage bottles dug up by my father in outback Australia.

And, bedside...

I kept meaning to take photos of this and was reminded today when Cohen pulled himself up on to this side of the bed side cabinet,

and claimed the old photo frames and fossils for himself.

And while I am catching up, Miss Muggin's was thinking about beds. Here is a bit of ours, with a cheeky baby who can pull himself up to the side of it and magically lower himself down again. No more crying out in alarm for help to get his bottom back on the floor. He is like a jack-in-the-box now. He stands up using the side of the bed, he sits down, he stands up again.

Thanks Pip for the meme and to Potty Mouth Mama for picking the bedside theme.

Is there anything....

like a good dress pattern to get you inspired?

There is only one teeny, tiny little problem.

Make that two.

Firstly, I have not found/ brought the perfect fabric to make these dresses yet.

Secondly. I have never sewn a dress before.

Thank goodness for Mothers who are willing to teach...

Eye Spy... something cuddly.

I know, you might have guessed it.

Cohen is my 'something cuddly'.

I couldn't resist.

Bek's Eye Spy theme was the perfect cuddly excuse to slip this photo onto the blog.

My clever, cuddly, sweet chubby cheeked boy who climbed into and stood up in his cart all by himself.

You can spy more Eye Spyers here...

Creepy?

I have been playing with the stamp and fabric ink I brought at the fair. But I think these disembodied doll faces look a little strange. I am holding my breath and crossing my fingers that a body and the back of their head will help these dolls go from creepy to cute...

Blogtoberfest.

If you go down to the woods today...

you're sure of a big surprise,

If you go down to the woods today

you'd better go in disguise.

For every crafter that ever there was

Will gather there for certain because,

Today there's fat quarters for only $3.50.

Every crafter who's been good

Is sure of a treat today,

There's lots of wonderful things to craft

And wonderful fabric to buy.

Beneath the stall where no body sees

They part with their money with glee,

'Cause that's the way that crafters are at Craft Fairs.

Blogtoberfest.

And the winner is...

*drum roll*

(Never work with children and animals...)

And the winner of the sweet children's light is Potty Mouth Mama!

Thanks to everyone who entered, I loved hearing about your favorite things in your childhood bedroom. It reminded me of some things I had forgotten and they all sounded so lovely and so loved.

My Creative Space...

The one project that could possibly squeeze into this weeks "Creative Space" spot just so happens to have been left at a relatives house. So pics of the frilly yarn progress are most likely to appear next week. In the meantime I was inspired by Leslie to share a photo of one of the pink gerbras that has been making me smile, and also the 1930's reproduction Aunt Grace fabric that arrived in the post today. Sigh...

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To see some actual creative spaces you best talk with Kirsty.

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Only one sleep until the giveaway is drawn...

I love op-shopping...

Isn't that cross stitched table cloth lovely? And those children's patterns, only $0.20c each. And the quilty bits and pieces? All in a little bag for $1. No wonder I love op-shopping...

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Have you entered the giveaway? Only two sleeps to go.

Blogtoberfest.

2 kg...

of peaches from our backyard, waiting to become jam...

Blogtoberfest.

Knitting and crochet failures...

Dear knitters, please don't laugh too loud. Here is the washer I attempted. No need to look closely to see that it is a failure. Consigned to be frogged.

In an effort to put the washer behind me I picked up a trusty crochet hook and began hooking away at a pram blanket for an expecting friend. Then I stopped. It was not how I envisioned it. It was, very, well, brown and a bit of blue was not helping. Colour failure.

But it is ok, my crafting ego had been re-inflated. You see, I finally decided to try to knit this frilly yarn. I looked up how to do this on the internet a few months ago and found only a few pics on an international eBay page selling similar yarn. This is the second attempt.

Success.

It has grown since the photo was taken. Perhaps I will be finished this little project in time to share it with you on Thursday?

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You mustn't forget about the giveaway.

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Blogtoberfest.

I did promise...

Yes, I did promise not to make all the posts about Cohen and you know, I have been trying. But sometimes I just have to share. You know, proud Mum and everything...

This is Cohen's latest trick.

Commando crawl to the sliding door, grab a hold of it, pull himself up and wave at the dog.

Cute huh? Thanks for letting me share. I know, probably not a very interesting blog post, but as parents will tell you, their children constantly amaze them.

Don't forget to enter the giveaway.

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Blogtoberfest.

I love op-shopping...

After a two week absence from my local op-shops, this morning I made my way there. I think the op-shop gods were smiling on me today, trying to make up for the two weeks I have just spent with no car. The pram held a sleeping baby and the basket beneath held all sorts of treasure by the time we were making our way back to my glorious car.

(Well, it sure looks glorious at the moment. You know, abscence - heart - fonder - etc.)

Curious as a cat I started to explore this red barn full of trucks and animals.

A lovely lady explained to me that it had been used by her Grandson whenever he came to visit her and it is 15 years old. She no longer needs it, as he is 17 now, so she donated it to the store she was volunteering for. She smiled at me and asked me about Cohen and I knew I couldn't leave without it. Her eyes shone to see the little boy it would belong to.

I think I will put it away until he is a little older, then give it a good clean and get some more animals for it.

I think Cohen will have hours of fun with this, don't you?

There were of course items that called my name too, like this large cotton quilt bag.

I think it will do very nicely to store one or two of my growing collection of quilts .

This fantastic and very old looking Elastoplast tin is full of buttons. I wonder how old it really is?

I love a good tin of buttons! Oh yes indeed. Is there anything like running your hands over the top of the buttons and picking out all your favourite?

Or finding all those funny bits and pieces that always seem to find their way into the button tin. I mean look; a marble, nails, a pin, a vintage necklace clasp and of course buckles.

And the buttons! Look at these sweet ones I pulled out.

This one looks like glass or jet and has "BGE Orig" written on the back. I wonder who BGE were and if dubious copies were made of their wonderful buttons, thus the "original'?

And look, a military button.

Oh, if only my buttons could talk. Who did they belong to? Was he husband in the air force? Did she sit in the sun room and darn his clothes?

Ornate brass buttons, from a fancy jacket? They are so pretty that they could be earrings.

These came home with me too...

0.50c for a peg holder who would like a date with one of Cohen's small coat hangers.

Some cute clothes for Cohen, a gorgeous Portmans top for me, and this 0.50c children's pillow case, sporting a cheeky rabbit...

and a startled chicken. Un-ironed of course, whose blog do you think this is?

Congratulations if you made it this far. I know it was hard work. Why not reward your self by entering the giveaway and visiting blogtoberfest's mother, Tinnegirl?