In between ironing a carload of chair covers this week, i managed to get Mr Fish to put my shelves in the cupboard that is now 'the material cupboard'. well, he put the frame in and tacked it in place and started to screw it in before the drill went flat so it got half done. Then yours truly being the clever person I am completed the job the next day with the help of a new drill and a mum (who had to lend me the drill). So it got done eventually and now all my 'terial (as little fish calls it) has a nice new home and feels all safe and snug.

I also had a couple of days of Mr post man being nice and bringing me some lovely parcels.

One day I got a lovely package from Crafty Mamas with some back issues of Mixtape and a new pattern that I can't wait to make up by Modkid.

And then I got a double suprise when I got the new ottobre magazine in one parcel and my April swap came from Stacey in another! Thanks Stacey, I love the cherry fabric and the little button and flower motif. They will be made into something cute.

I also finished off my collection of covered tins that hold all sorts of crafty stuff and they are sitting pretty on top of the bookcase next to my sewing table. So I have had a busy week so far and this weekend will be chaos with 5 weddings to set up and pull down, so off I go to do some more ironing.

Pay it forward

from here

I will make a handmade gift for the first 3 interested people who comment on this post. I have 365 days to do it in…What it will be and when it will arrive is a total surprise!The catch is that you must participate as well: you must have a blog and before you leave your comment here, write up a pay it forward post on your blog to keep the fun going.(just cut and paste this one if you like!, which I did)

ohhhhh, this should be interesting!

random stuff

I got these 2 books a short while before Easter and just love them. Warm Fuzzies was an awsome score off ebay (this NEVER happens to me) that was only $10, pretty good when it's selling for 3 times that! And more softies was from the bookshop but I couldn't resist as I have bought the first softies for my lovely s-i-l and loved that too.

Just wanted to share some great books. I have also been scouring fishpond for their craft books and have made up a pretty impressive wishlist.

This is my cute little fishie number 2 who can sort of sit up now. She is not so good with the not falling sideways yet but we are working on it. For a kid that spent the first 3 months of her life in a pavlik harness (to correct her hip dysplasia) she is doing pretty well with reaching all her milestones. She may walk a little bit later than average but that's okay, more time to put everything out of reach.

These fabulous t-shirts were made by my clever s-i-l Claire who did them up for the girls at easter time. Zali got the bunny one as she can't eat choccy yet (we'll soon sort that out)

and Stace got the other 2 for her birthday. Isn't she clever! gush, gush, okay that's enough.

I joined Brown Owls a little while ago and it promted me to ask mum where all my old brownie stuff was (I knew she would have it somewhere). sure enough, it was hiding in a cupboard and i got it all out and had a look through my old handbook and all the other stuff. What memories it brought back. I'm trying to hunt down any other members that live in Mackay so we can form our own chapter and have meetings and stuff. The Melbourne girls look like they have lots of fun at their gatherings.

And Finally, this cute little pic is of a stitchery that i got from Claire's old craft book (i think it's from the 70's) that she would have found in an op shop somewhere. There is a matching boy one as well that is equally cute.

I really should get my priorities right!

This is what I should be doing (ironing chair covers for the 5 weddings we are setting up next weekend).

This is what i'd like to be doing instead (finishing my stitchery).

And this is what I better get started on doing if I want to finish them before my 90th birthday. (yes, that folder really is full of patterns that i would like to make).

And this is what I need to remember to post tomorrow or poor Stacey will get her swap in the wrong month! (I seem to find it difficult to get to the post office with 2 little fishes, wonder why!)

Oh, to have another few hours in the day!

Have not been able to do a whole lot of crafting lately as i have been working a bit. And this weekend I am supposed to be pruning and weeding. After my stitchery (which is pretty much traced off my Kristen Doran Fabric panel) is finished, I think I might make a little felt mushroom or toadstool, or maybe a little bird. Or maybe a mobile for Zali's room. hmmm. Don't know what I want to make now.

Happy Birthday Little Fish!

Well, today my oldest little fishie turns 3! I can't believe she is 3 already, the time had passed so quickly. She is no longer my baby but my little girl and 3 just sounds so old!

We ended up having a couple of cakes as we were visiting her nanny and poppy (dad's side) a few days before her birthday and then were home for her actual birthday with other nanny and poppy.

Not that she minded of course, more cake for everyone. She has been very lucky and has received lots of lovely pressies from all who love her and despite being a bit sick with a cold still managed to have a bit of a play.

I have finally finished my stitchery I took on holidays to do and am going to frame it to put in one of the girls rooms. It is a pattern from http://oneredrobin.com/ by the very talanted Johanna and i just love how darn cute it is.

My very clever Mum just finished a quilt she has been making for littlest fishies bed and it is quite adorable. I asked for some pink and green squares of some sort and it has some lovely fairies and mushrooms in it that just scream 'how cute am I' to all who see it. The bunny in the shot was just hanging around feeling a bit neglected after easter so we let him be in the piccie too.

Well, we are back from our holiday and getting back to normal. We went down to Yandina on the sunny coast and stayed with Mr Fish's parents for his sister's wedding and then for a little holiday afterwards. Oldest little fish had a great time feeding all Nanny's animals- 2 wallabies, 2 possums, some birds, some chooks and a dog. (yes, she is a wildlife carer, she doesn't pinch them from the bush!)

And of course we had to go to underwater world where oldest fish was mesmerised by the sharks in the tunnel. After going round the tunnel 3 times we said the sharks had to go to bed now.

The wedding was lovely and a bit wet. The sensible people took their shoes off for the ceremony as it was in 4 inches of mud and water! (that makes me one of the sensible ones, yay!)

and the people with 4 wheel drives came in handy to ferry people to and from the site as it had become a quagmire.

luckily, the reception venue (the backyard) was dryish, just a little damp and shoes could be put back on if required.

So we have married Aunty Sandy off and she is Uncle Brian's now to look after. The bride managed to look beautiful, dry and unmuddy (we have no idea how-the dry and unmuddy bits) and her very clever brother Steven took some beautiful photos of the day. Some which required standing in a flowing creek in waders (the photographer, not the bride).

After the wedding we had a nice peaceful week of relaxing and I even managed to go to the Eumundi Markets without the husband OR the children!

I love going there and seeing all the clever things people are making and selling. We also managed to go up to Steven and Claires place at Kureelpa and I was lucky enough to raid her stash and take some goodies home. Honestly that girl could open a shop with all the fabric she has and I would be her first customer. She has raided all the op shops in tassie which apparently are the best in the world and had an amazing collection of vintage sheets and curtains and tablecloths which can be refashioned into clothes. anyone who is a sewer would just drool if they were ever lucky enough to feast their eyes on this amazing collection, most of which you won't find in the shops. (there is a picture somewhere on her blog of some of the stash- alittlespunkiness, if you want a look)

Enough gushing now.

Easter was good to the kids and they had an egg hunt and ate too much chocolate of course. Mr Bilby met Miss Chick outside oldest fishies bedroom while they were waiting to be discovered and I caught them having a nice little chat.

It was lovely to catch up with all the loved ones and go for a visit, but boy was it nice to sleep in my own bed again when we came home.