Stills: A Weekly Collection

1. Dappled sunlight. Siblings playing. A quiet moment amidst the busyness of running a home and a small business.

2. Looking toward the Winter sun

3. Noticing - the marks and textures revealed once the bark has fallen away

4. Black, green and orange leaves - Mother nature knows best

5. Challenging myself to draw each day - it doesn't have to be perfect - I just want to 'make marks daily'

Stills: A Weekly Collection

1. One month old already.

2. The fun and wonder of being two means giggling on the couch with upside down binoculars.

3. If I could just get my fist in to my mouth...

4. This lovely lemon tree is next to the path we walk each day as Cohen goes to school. The fruit is too high to pick, but I am always tempted to try.

5. I started an online drawing course by Lisa Congdon, through Creative Bug, after seeing Cath post about it on Instagram. I'm loving trying my hand at something new.

6. Her pretend 'school bag', for the walk to school.

7. The delicious pinks of my camellia tree in bloom. I look forward to it all year.

Joining in with The Beetle Shack.

Good things

Interested in getting published in an Australian Craft Zine? Bespoke has put a call out for submissions for their Spring edition. The theme is Adornment + Embellishment.

An Online Masterclass for bloggers on working with PR companies (with the lovely Pottymouthmama), getting comfortable with video (with Milk Please Mum) and working with brands - Voices of 2014 - Online Masterclass

The Etsy blog's - 7 Tips for Hiring and Managing Assistants

Looking for a new read? Lit Lovers review books each month based on a theme. This month it's The Bawdy Politic.

Creative Bug - A collection of video workshops covering everything from quilting to jeweller, yarn to paper. (Cath has been doing Lisa Congdon's Line Drawing Class, which looks great.)

gather :: create - a workshop being held next weekend in Northern NSW, which sounds like a wonderful celebration of creativity and making

Foodies rejoice - The upcoming exhibition at Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art, Harvest, celebrates food in art, and will feature a new range of menu options inspired by the exhibition.

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What good things have you found lately?

Feel free to leave a link or two in the comments.

Happy Sunday!

These Moments

1. Kiss

2. Play

3. Play

4. Hold hands

5. Kiss

6. Play

Weaving Tutorials for Beginners

L- R: Purl Bee, Branch Weaving, Matchbox weaving,
Stone weaving, How to weave, Facecloth,
Beginners, Learn how to weave, A Sampler.

Are you a bit fascinated by weaving? I am! I love all the different yarns and textiles, the patterns and textures and the decorative and practical applications of weaving. I've noticed a lot of weaving in the blog worlds recently and I feel that it is nearly time I tried my hand at it, having not attempted to do so since primary school. If you are after some weaving inspiration, Pippa from Ouchflower makes the most lovely weavings, and entering #weaving into Instgram reveals a myriad of beautiful yarny over-and-unders that will make your heart pitter patter a little faster, particularly if you are a knitter with a collection of left over bits and pieces... I have put together this little collection of simple weaving tutorials to get you (and me) started.

I think these would make a great school holiday craft. I will be sorting through my yarn ends and practicing a bit of weaving with my five year old one afternoon soon. I shall be sure to share our results. 

Will you join me?

Stills: A Weekly Collection

1. She seems so big since her brother was born, but captured like this I still see my baby girl. 

2 & 3. Oscar, two and a half weeks old and all sorts of adorable.

4. Emerson, looking a little like a character from a story book.
5. Production line of new stock for Finders Keepers and the shop, created with a baby on my lap.
6. A moment to savor, feeding and reading the new Alphabet Family Journal.


Joining in with The Beetle Shack.

Sleepy Sunday

It's a slow Sunday.
A two cups of tea in bed Sunday.
A no to-do list Sunday.

Last night was the second consecutive night of all-night-cluster-feeding with my growing two and a half week old baby. I spent more of the night awake than asleep. So I'm reminding myself that it's normal, allowing a little more tv than usual for my other two little ones, and hoping to sneak in a shower and a nap with hubby's help.

What are you up to today?
Here's hoping you get some rest this Sunday too.

New in the Shop

'Vector' Cuff Links

These 'Vector' Cuff Links have been designed to be worn with crisply ironed shirts with beautiful French cuffs. Equally at home with suit trousers, chinos or jeans, these rustic cuff links add a touch of earthy warmth for work, evenings, or weekends.

A great gift idea for Father's Day, but equally lovely for your corporate darling, male or female. Ladies can rock the Annie Hall look with these cuff links, a black vest and a handmade tie. 

Designed by Christina Lowry, these Gemstone 'Vector' Cuff Links are laser cut and engraved in Luan ply wood, and backed with silver plated cuff link fittings. Approx. 2 cm at their longest point. 

Available in three designs - Emerald Cut (Rectangular), Round Brilliant (Round) and Pear Cut (Tear drop).

Yarn Along

~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs.  I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? ~ Ginny

Slowly, slowly my scarf is growing and may well keep me warm this Winter. Reading has all but ground to a halt though, having been replaced by baby gazing. Yes, baby gazing and snuggling could certainly be full time jobs, if not for housework. While I have been doing my best to rest, I can't help but need to keep the house a certain level of tidy for my sanity, and the washing up to date for much the same reason. 

At two weeks of age Oscar is sleeping and feeding well. And I am managing to juggle the needs of three children and two adults, while doing at least one thing each day, however big or small, for my business. Be it rearranging my market table, which is currently set up in my studio, or replying to emails for custom orders and wholesale inquiries. It feels good to be doing a little something for 'me' each day.

And you? What have you been reading or making?

Joining in with Ginny.

Ravlery.

Pinteresting

Pretty and interesting finds from Pinterest...

L-R: kgroth2, Linda Fahey, ppebble,
mattfiske, DisgruntledOwl, flaxandtwine,
tinkijenn, cuartodereecha, Ginko 991.

A collection of beautiful things to inspire you on this lovely Tuesday. May you find some time today to pause and admire the clouds, stop to pick a flower, chat with a friend over a cup of tea, or indulge in baby cuddles.

Hello Pippit!

I've just joined Pippit. Have you heard of it? It's a new app that works as a kind of blog reader/ social media platform, created by bloggers Joy (Oh Joy), and Naomi and Josh (Love Tazza).

If you're on Pippit pop by and say Hello!
If you're intrigued, take a look at the video and check it out in the App Store.

You can find me at Christina Lowry Designs!

Literally tongue tied

A beautiful handwritten gift from my talented intern, Didi.

Each of my newborns have had their own little hurdles to overcome after their births. For Cohen it was a pulled muscle in his neck, care of his forceps delivery, which left him unable to turn his head to one side. This resulted in a gradually worsening flat spot on his head, which was corrected with physio and sleep positioning. For Emerson, it was the discovery of a small hole in her heart on day three after her birth. Which of course left me a weeping heap of hormones and worry, until several tests revealed that it was not life threatening, and would more than likely close off with time. For our dear little Oscar it has been a tongue tie, detected by the pediatrician at his examination on day two, prior to our discharge from hospital. A 'text book case', as indicated by a heart shaped tongue and a shortened frenulum. The Doctor seemed unconcerned, produced some paper work with information and left it in our hands. He explaining that while once it had been routine to snip a tongue tie, it was rather more controversial now, and many Doctors took a hands off, wait and see approach, unless the tie affected breastfeeding.

As a third time Mama, who is no stranger to breastfeeding, I had known something was different with feeding Oscar. The pinching pain was getting stronger with each feed, my damaged nipples worsening. He seemed to suck with his jaw rather than his tongue and fell asleep exhausted after ten minutes, and woke to feed hourly. By the next day I had done my research and decided to have the tie snipped. I asked my Instagram community for words of wisdom from those who had been there before me, and was surprised and comforted by the response. With added confidence I booked the appointment with the midwife clinic we had been referred to, and took my three day old baby to see them.

It really was all over in a minute. Oscar's third level tie needed only the tiniest snip; his tongue didn't bleed and he didn't cry. Immediately he could touch his tongue to the roof of his open mouth, which he hadn't been able to do previously. During his first feed after the snip he began trying to suck with his tongue, not his jaw, and his ear moved during his feed for the first time. He has since been relearning how to feed, though I have needed to be vigilant to ensure that he attaches correctly and doesn't lapse in to old habits. 

Since the procedure, Oscar has been feeding off both sides and sleeping for over four hours at a time. I no longer dread feeding him. I call that a win.

I am so grateful to all the Mama's who shared their stories with me on Instagram and made a confusing decision easier for me. Perhaps in writing this I will be able to do the same for another Mama.

Time for more baby cuddles and baby gazing.

Lately

There has been a whole lot of baby gazing going on this week, as we nestle in at home and give our days over to the rhythms of a newborn. Each sigh and sniffle, each expression and movement has been intently studied by devoted siblings, and besotted Mama alike. I'm cherishing having my twin sister here from Canberra for a week.

There are so many beautiful moments that I want to hold on to, and much to be grateful for.