tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88303080531786833742011-10-11T20:50:15.619+08:00A state of bliss!Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.comBlogger1121100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-56370387402351801682011-02-03T14:00:00.009+08:002011-02-03T15:38:18.597+08:00

Did you guess the party theme from the birthday girl's party dress?Yes Rainbow had a Rainbow party. A colourful theme for a colourful little 4 year old. Photos with details and without guests are a little light on but here we go.. There also all at the bottom of the post as Blogger is being 'uncooperative')We decorated with the park with colourful balloons and a painted rainbow.The rainbow is

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-88966812656769353992011-01-27T13:43:00.006+08:002011-01-27T18:37:57.048+08:00

Yes, I'm back. I kind of lost interest for a while. Lost interest in this and even in reading others' blogs. I found I spent more time blogging than doing anything worth blog. I think a lot of people go through this from what I've seen on others' blogs. Anyway a new year and some changes plus I miss the friendships I've formed and I think I have room for it again. I guess we'll see...But in the

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-11458286438634440962011-01-26T13:31:00.002+08:002011-01-26T13:35:41.461+08:00

We had a picnic at Yanchep NP yesterday and Rainbow made friends with a Ring Necked Parrots. Most people call them 28s as that is what their call sounds like. This one was a juvenile and I think was supplementing his seed diet with 'picnic' foods. As you can see Rainbow was very excited by her new friend.

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-3199659539521747902010-09-24T14:24:00.003+08:002010-09-24T14:33:18.959+08:00

We've had glorious weather this past week with maximums in the mid to high 20s. Today I was making a batch of vinaigrette to take on holiday for a week camping at Esperance, when I was hit with guilt as I promised this recipe to a dear friend a long time away, who has recently moved to England. So I thought if I type it for her, I might as send it out to all of you, particularly those who are

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-56863825379569929692010-09-07T13:46:00.003+08:002010-09-07T14:07:08.201+08:00

Hi all,Sorry I've been away. My day time recreation has been dramatically cut by a little one with back to back colds and in the evening the computer is being used by my husband who is completing some post grad study. This is actually about two weeks old. We haven't had any playdough around here for a long long time but we finally got around to making a batch. This is the usual recipe. I

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-52277572573276247872010-08-17T13:23:00.004+08:002010-08-17T13:41:17.655+08:00

You have to do this. As Rainbow plays with her homemade Moonsand she shrieks and squeals "This is so much fun." I will show you this picture first as a warning. It's messy. Very messy. But it's a dry mess. In fact DON'T wipe it up - it will make a river of food colour. Just sweep it up or even better get your little one to sweep it up. There are many recipes out there all the same ration

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-81967670330006885212010-08-10T19:50:00.004+08:002010-08-10T19:59:52.334+08:00

We had a lovely 'stay home all day' day yesterday. We don't do this very often but it was a lovely day. We designed a great train track, painted, played in the garden and ticked off an activity that's been on the list for a while waiting for such a day.Rainbow has been asking great questions recently like "How are houses built?" A few weeks ago Rainbow asked me "How do you make bread?" so today

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-91130200329037865082010-08-04T19:32:00.002+08:002010-08-04T19:52:12.522+08:00

My mother is not a baker by that I mean it's not something that she terribly enjoys or would choose to do. Where as I am always trying out new recipes, she however has a number of signature dishes that she has mastered and can call on when the occasion arises. Lemon Coconut Slice (pictured centre) was one of them. Through out my childhood when ever she was require to 'take a plate' this

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-47850139695444794342010-08-03T13:57:00.004+08:002010-08-03T14:19:44.848+08:00

One of our favourite things after visiting or doing something interesting is too relive it at home. Here's our version of Luna Park. Luna Park is a theme park in Sydney right on the river next to the Harbour Bridge. This first photo isn't mine and I'm hoping it's Sydney as there is a second Luna Park in Melbourne. Here are our train people entering through the iconic Luna clown face. Next they

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-75212724478683052842010-07-28T19:23:00.013+08:002010-07-28T20:25:42.340+08:00

I had planned to post this before we left but ran out of time..About a month ago my nephew celebrated his birthday and the girls made him a transformer inspired robot card using aluminium foil that had been glued onto card then cut into shapes and arranged.It got me thinking about whether you could paint on foil and get that look of applying gold foil. So here are the different methods we tried.

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-12424198632839067012010-07-27T13:49:00.007+08:002010-07-27T19:42:34.294+08:00

We had a wonderful holiday in New South Wales. I usually get to a point when travelling that I'm ready to go home but I didn't reach it this holiday!Here are a few photos and some extracts from my travel diary... We drove to Minnamirra Rainforest Area for a picnic lunch and walk along a broadwalk. The broadwalk took us along the Minnamirra Riverlet and high into the forest. The rainforest was

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-21460025695733985962010-07-03T19:49:00.002+08:002010-07-03T19:52:04.832+08:00

Hi everyone,I had planned on posting today but it's going to have to wait until I return. We're off to Sydney at 8.05 tomorrow morning so instead I shall read my packing list for the umpteenth time and head off to bed. I'll visit you all and share my holidays when we return in three weeks.Until thenKristine

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-86546889384174646672010-06-29T20:33:00.004+08:002010-06-29T20:56:04.859+08:00

Last week Rainbow and I made these little bush fairies using wooden beads for heads and the seeds, nuts and buds from our Autumn nature table. Rainbow chose the pieces and I hot glue gunned them together. It was a quick craft to enjoy in the little break between Rainbow and Moonshine waking from their afternoon sleep. Moonshine was quite interested in it as we hastily packed away when she awoke.

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-50594605057895549642010-06-25T14:20:00.004+08:002010-06-25T14:51:21.383+08:00

I am feeling frazzled so though I should do some sewing or knitting today I shall blog while the girls sleep. On Fridays we attend mothers group. Until quite recently Rainbow has been happy doing her own thing or playing with me but recently she has wanted to play with the others. Time and time again she'll go and try to join in with the girls or ask one of the girls if she wants to do

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-57088437679922864862010-06-24T20:44:00.004+08:002010-06-24T21:00:04.176+08:00

I've finished another felt board to take for entertainment on our coming plane trip. This tells the story of "The Gingerbread Man". It's funny I often chant the refrain when we're running around or playing chasey though Rainbow doesn't know the story.Here's the little old lady getting the gingerbread man out of the oven. Here everyone is in hot pursuit "Run, Run as fast as you can. You can't

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-47742414680287658682010-06-21T21:04:00.005+08:002010-06-24T21:01:11.822+08:00

Today's craft builds on some of the craft we've been doing recently - poor man's glitter and squeezy art. The idea comes from One Crafty Momma and is one I've wanted to try for about two years but our absence of a microwave has prevented us. Today we were visiting at my parents' place so it seemed a good opportunity. Though having done it I don't see why it wouldn't work just as well in an oven

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-76772745274026998322010-06-12T19:53:00.006+08:002010-06-12T20:37:47.126+08:00

Rainbow's art is starting to include bodies for her people. You can see it in her pancake man and also her 'poor man's glitter' person. She's also been experimenting with these elongated head/bodies which are interesting in that I don't believe they are part of the usual progression. This one is a pig - see the snout and curly tailAs yet this isn't coming out in her drawings so I thought we'd

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-72698031498803805702010-06-10T19:47:00.005+08:002010-06-10T20:27:02.685+08:00

Rainbow and I are enjoying Masterchef. Rainbow loves watching a little before bed and comes up with her own ideas of what she would cook - such as a steak and cabbage pizza with beer poured on top.Here's some arty cooking we've been up to using.... a squeezy bottle. We actually have two, Rainbow finds the red bottle easier to squeeze.Firstly decorating cookies. The icing is a simple glace icing (

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-21110519651288898762010-06-04T14:48:00.005+08:002010-06-04T15:36:18.413+08:00

We've had two trips to the zoo this week. The second one, today, was especially to see the new baby Rothschild giraffe that was born on Saturday. Here he is with his mother Misha.We are thrilled to have seen him. When we first arrived I could barely see his little head at the back of their enclosure and despite (what I thought was) a comprehensive description Rainbow could not see him. Thankfully

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-89419265000716120002010-05-30T19:38:00.006+08:002010-05-30T19:51:42.084+08:00

I have forsaken my readers and I think they may have forsaken me! Or perhaps they just weren't that interested in the last post. Shall I try again.I was feeling frustrated with my sewing so I have put it away and am working on my scrapbooks (will I ever catch up?) and also a few feltboards. The feltboards in part are to pack for our coming trip. (We're off to NSW for three weeks in July just for

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-86777151976485193642010-05-28T20:05:00.009+08:002010-05-28T20:42:06.375+08:00

It's been a month since I last posted. I'm not sure why I've been away so long. Many reasons - I had computer problems, Moonshine and I have been sick and partly just that I've had things sitting heavily on my mind. I'll probably share some of these (I'd actually like your input) but not today.Instead today here's a really easy craft idea.I'm sorry I haven't got many photos. So I'll start with

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-56419132027894169252010-04-30T20:36:00.006+08:002010-04-30T20:59:53.925+08:00

I thought about calling this post - the belated belated. This is my belated posting of the belated present that Rainbow made for Moonshine's birthday.It was strongly inspired by the lovely touch and feel book that Zoe (from Playing by the Book) 's daughter M created.Where as M started with a scrap of fabric that she then transformed into a picture, Rainbow started with an idea that she drew and

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-218994657339592662010-04-27T19:38:00.003+08:002010-04-27T19:55:52.629+08:00

We brought some fresh plums and apples from a farm side stall a week ago. The plums were delicious but all ripen simultaneously so we cooked some up.The first kilo I used to make plum jam. (I cut the sugar to 2 1/2 cups for 1kg of plums) We always have commercial jam in the fridge as Rainbow is a big fan but I don't usually have any desire to eat it. Put a jar of homemade jam in the fridge and it

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-78911536473996893412010-04-26T19:34:00.006+08:002010-04-27T14:30:45.010+08:00

I finally finished the two knit dresses that provided me with so much angst. I'm pleased with how they turned out. Having sewn two of these dresses it's actually quite an easy pattern, though I'm a bit inexperienced at setting seams. It also looks comfortable on. It's such a retro style - I can imagine myself wearing it fifteen years ago (still retro as it's really my Mum's generation) with knee

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-3748448621536315162010-04-19T20:00:00.005+08:002010-04-19T20:25:25.918+08:00

I know Easter was two weeks ago. Finally the kids have polished off the last chocolate (or so they think - insert evil laugh!) The egg cups have been put away. The bunny ears have retired to the dress up box. But what do you do with those beautiful dyed eggs..... Easter Egg Mosaic - Very simple and all that egg smashing is quite simple. Materialsdyed eggspaperglue (I used school glue. If you want

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-40546774940427519562010-04-03T18:42:00.004+08:002010-04-03T19:00:09.547+08:00

Yesterday I made a nest basket using the nest pattern I a few months back. I adapted to make the point (base of the basket) bigger and the rectangular portion (height of the basket) shorter. I made it with a felt outer and fabric inner with the intention of appliqueing and embroidering flowers on the front but time got away. It's a little too flimsy to use as an egg collecting basket but looks

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-78442213027080178742010-04-02T20:37:00.003+08:002010-04-02T20:50:50.904+08:00

Each year Rainbow and I have dyed eggs for Easter. We leave them in a basket on the back step for the Easter Bunny or his helper the Easter Bilby to hide in our garden on Easter Morning and hope that maybe he'll leave us a chocolate egg or chocolate Bilby to find too. Yes - we do have an Easter Bilby here in Australia. The rabbit is actually a terrible feral animal in our country which results in

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-83073812162711364262010-03-29T19:49:00.004+08:002010-03-29T19:59:48.688+08:00

I would say I'm very against little girls in bra tops. Immediately the issues of sexualisation of little girls and girls as young as 3 developing eating orders in the pressure to look as society expects.But tonight I saw the other side of the picture.Rainbow found two breast pads that I'd removed from my bathers and was proudly wearing her boo boos (breasts). As I carefully helped her put her

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-32243346558692548992010-03-28T15:59:00.003+08:002010-03-28T16:31:25.916+08:00

We tried baking 'crackle cookies' the other day. Have a google and you'll find many recipes. You basically roll the dough into a ball and roll in icing sugar before baking. The result inspired a 'crackle art' easter egg. 1. Draw an egg design and colour in using crayon. You want to completely colour in the egg and press quite hard.2. Cut out the egg. 3. Scrunch it up into a tight ball and

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-32221449055662973162010-03-27T14:40:00.004+08:002010-03-27T15:06:46.611+08:00

This is the first time I've had internet since Monday. We had a massive storm hit Perth on Monday. Having had no rain for just over three months we had about 6 cm in about an hour. Our little city doesn't get 'natural disasters' so we're ill prepared. At our house it was very exciting, Rainbow and I had been Rain dancing and chanting during the afternoon. Then when it started to sprinkle Rainbow

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-77929212571642285732010-03-19T14:59:00.004+08:002010-03-19T15:11:12.776+08:00

I had a ‘challenging’ sewing / pattern cutting day yesterday. .I’ve psyched myself out by choosing fabric that is too far beyond me. I’m hoping that someone reading this may have had some experience sewing knits and could give me some guidance or (encouragement). Interestingly the last project I tried making with knits was a long sleeve wrap dress from 2003 which still isn’t finished. I’m hoping

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-19358309528711325422010-03-12T20:12:00.003+08:002010-03-12T20:41:29.532+08:00

Two more string painting activities.Gluing with StringAlright strictly speaking this first one isn't actually painting though it works well if you mix 50% paint with glue.Simply dip in paint or glue / paint mix and place on paper.In true Rainbow style, her's is a little minimalist. Variations Adding paint to the glue as described at the start. You can use different types and colours of wool.If

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-76265530759399822942010-03-10T20:07:00.007+08:002010-03-10T20:46:41.880+08:00

This year we're exploring little themes in painting. I haven't really planned it that way but once one material is in the paint caddy it's easy just to keep going. It has been interesting to explore similar tasks over several days. I'm also hoping as the year progresses Rainbow will start doing the "I wonder what would happen if..." thinking along with me.Recently Rainbow and I have been painting

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-21117313556258916292010-03-03T20:09:00.003+08:002010-03-03T20:26:02.142+08:00

We're still playing around with our nature table. In someways this table reflects how we spend summer at the beach and down the river rather than capturing the essence of summer in the natural world. The runner is a scarf. The two glass plates were gifts from a girl whose grandmother makes plates and jewellery by recycling glass. The larger plate holds a variety of shells and corals that we've

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-41665522705603733712010-03-02T20:27:00.005+08:002010-03-02T20:49:23.070+08:00

Guess who drew this? Yes, it's Moonshine's very first piece of art. She kept at it for quite a while and was very interested in trying out all of the textas. Though in true one year old style she was paying attention to all sorts of going ons in the room as she drew. It's got me thinking about how I can include Moonshine in some of my Rainbow and my craft sessions - particularly when she

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-15624052019225661432010-02-25T20:54:00.003+08:002010-02-25T21:12:41.000+08:00

Here's a little game that Rainbow and I whipped up. The board is so simple to put together. The drawings show what we saw down the river on Sunday. Can you spot the jellyfish with all of it's tentacles, the fish, the seagull with it's long legs and the man standing on the jetty? The long line at the top is the sky. This is the first time Rainbow has included it in a drawing. Here is the link

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-23564317691350863392010-02-19T14:42:00.004+08:002010-02-19T20:48:25.705+08:00

Way back in November I received the Kreative Krafter award from Zoe at Playing by the Books. I was delighted and surprised but also a little embarrassed so I didn't do the right thing with it. Then the other day I visited Emily from Notes from Emily and found she'd presented me with my second award - a sunshine award. What a wonderful surprise and still a little embarrassing. I'd like to

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-30992875181067172702010-02-15T19:48:00.003+08:002010-02-15T20:38:39.395+08:00

We had a lovely picnic yesterday to celebrate Moonshine's birthday. I think everyone had a lovely day, except perhaps Moonshine herself - who like any sensible one year old would of been happier curled up with her Mama playing with toys. Moonshine did have a change of heart on seeing her birthday cake. She absolutely loves strawberries so spent the birthday song frantically gesturing and babbling

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-68785765029477747052010-02-11T20:19:00.008+08:002010-02-11T20:47:22.911+08:00

We've been experimenting with splatter painting recently. I say experimenting as we had some success and some failures. For these activities we used watered down poster paint.We tried1. Rubbing paint through a sieve. We just ended up with a dirty sieve! 2. Flicking the bristles of an old children's toothbrush but found we only got an occasional drop not really a splatter. I think this may be due

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-12407374391258292572010-02-10T19:53:00.005+08:002010-02-10T20:34:30.725+08:00

Our museum currently has a visiting exhibit of robotic dinosaurs. Rainbow has wanted to go since she saw the adverts outside the museum. They were really exciting. Some roared, others stomped or swung their tail. Rainbow's favourite were the triceratops eggs - that were shaking. You could sometimes see a little baby poking out. She stood there for a long time waiting for them to hatch. She also

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-66196086332822919672010-02-09T20:13:00.003+08:002010-02-09T20:24:01.985+08:00

This time one year ago I was about 15 minutes away from having little Moonshine. In a bathtub having a major "I can't do this" kind of moment.Tonight both girls are in bed and my little Moonshine has just had her first birthday.So what have I learnt in the past year about this little girl.We call her our little lover. She is affectionate, full of smiles, cuddles and kisses.She's determined - she

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-930395516241633942010-02-03T20:00:00.007+08:002010-02-03T20:45:19.777+08:00

In Australia Valentine's day is a heavily merchandised occasion focused purely on romantic love. We don't tend to do the writing of valentines for friends and family.Yet at the moment Rainbow is really interested in writing. She talks about sounds all the time. Then one day I asked her if she wanted me to show her how to write her name. She was excited and before I could do it wrote the first

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-17801183547545702892010-02-03T13:24:00.004+08:002010-02-03T14:01:35.559+08:00

Don't get too comfortable Flitter - the nest is about to get very crowded. (Slight Cesarean accident involving unpicking a seam and accidentally cutting off the corner of the tail has delayed his sister's arrival.)The nest was very easy and rewarding to make. I tossed around with a few ideashexagon base with 5 sides - this is the bowls you find on googlea round base with a rectangular side.a

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-86443970446424542942010-02-01T20:01:00.004+08:002010-02-01T20:20:47.949+08:00

I'm trying something different. I've filled a box full of valentines themed things for Rainbow to use as she wishes. It has punches, stickers, wrapping paper, cut up paintings, ribbons...In the past few months she's really starting to develop her own projects like one night when she punched around the edge of a piece of paper and threaded wool in and out of the holes. Since she was about 2 1/2

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-32555848037368084112010-01-31T20:33:00.005+08:002010-01-31T20:57:34.231+08:00

The day of Moonshine's party is Valentine's Day so I've decided to go for a sweet heart theme. It suits my little girl as she is so loving. She is so generous with her snuggles.This picture doesn't quite look right. It is actually flat. This is how it looks when you take it from the envelope. Then you gently pull up the row of hearts. These are made using this very clever tutorial from Paper

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-8175106950572541952010-01-27T21:12:00.004+08:002010-01-27T21:27:06.826+08:00

For a while Rainbow has wanted to build a Ninky Nonk and was collecting equipment. Then eventually one day I had the useful box out and she set about building her Ninky Nonk while I built a cave that I'll show soon. We don't do a lot of useful box construction as she's still a little young. In the past I've had to ask a lot of questions to help her. Initially about the thing she was building,

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-22516809796482615762010-01-27T21:02:00.003+08:002010-01-27T21:10:52.070+08:00

Had a busy day on Monday. On top of Moonshine's photo session I prepared a few other things for her party.Made some glorious strawberry jam to spread with cream between two sponges for her cake. Still trying to work out the logistics of cake for 32 people. Planted some basil for the Pesto Pasta Salad. Probably left it a little late but we'll see.And here's us having morning tea (chocolate muffin

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-31029558292720118892010-01-25T20:12:00.005+08:002010-01-25T20:19:43.672+08:00

The girls and I had a pre-birthday photo shoot for Moonshine at our local park. We must have looked a strange trio. Rainbow and I had been gardening so we were in our old shorts and t-shirts yet Moonshine was frocked up. In hindsight I should have brushed her hair. I need to choose a photo for Moonshine's birthday invitation. Some of them I'd crop to fit or make her central. The invitations

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-62095660638565976312010-01-25T13:39:00.002+08:002010-01-25T13:44:20.404+08:00

The last post was about "Rainbow the Artist" so here's Moonshine finger painting with home-made jelly (100% orange juice + gelatine). Yes she did eat some. I've been thinking I should give her more opportunities like this - tomato puree, yoghurt... How did you start art with your little ones?

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-40222421960600187422010-01-24T19:34:00.009+08:002010-01-24T20:19:51.768+08:00

Many moons ago I blogged about turning an old picture frame into a felt board. At the time I said I'd share a few art activities to use the glass. Well finally here they are.First up the materials. In these pictures Rainbow is using my glass cutting board. The plastic 'glass' used in Ikea's photo frames are great. Alternatively you can use a picture frame with just glass in. Low windows are also

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-37774356496761162242010-01-23T14:36:00.005+08:002010-01-24T08:23:28.497+08:00

After a long and at some point difficult hatching the first baby has arrived. The proud parents are hoping he develops his father's beautiful plumage and his mother's stunning song. His mother spends most of the day collecting only the best grubs for her baby. Flitter is a contented little chick and is already looking like he is ready for his first flight.

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-88267869185179864862010-01-15T14:26:00.004+08:002010-01-15T14:34:40.770+08:00

Those eyes are inspired byand seen on A new baby for Moonshine's birthday. Moonshine loves dolls. She spends a lot of time giving them cuddles and often crawls about with a little plastic doll under each hand or a doll sticking out of her mouth. This doll is using the free black apple tutorial. The tutorial is very simple to follow though I must say I had some problems with fraying and ended up

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-57060894230091240372010-01-13T13:04:00.008+08:002010-01-13T13:48:58.694+08:00

At the moment, with it being less than a month to her first birthday, it's all about Moonshine. I've got two homemade presents on the drawing board.Well the first is actually done. I'll tease you with a peak. Do you recognise the eyes? They're inspired by a animated television character from the 80s. Have a guess in the comment section. I must admit I can't see it now that it's sewn.Present

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-65480188913637498122010-01-08T21:22:00.004+08:002010-01-08T21:49:43.911+08:00

We had a lovely time at the party.If you'd like to know more about the endangered bilby you may like to check out this page. I had planned on making a costume for Moonshine but it's hard to be motivated when she'll outgrow it quickly. Instead opted for a top with a pocket to be her pouch and a little kangaroo joey. (Mind you half the guest thought Rainbow was a kangaroo). The joey didn't spend

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-82147101581262625842010-01-06T20:43:00.007+08:002010-01-06T21:22:14.909+08:00

I'm honoured today to be a guest on Playing by the Book where I'm sharing some of Rainbow and my favourite Australian literature. By co-incidence today I completed a very Australian project. On Friday Rainbow is attending a party at the zoo - costumes optional. So of course what's Rainbow's favourite animal - a bilby. Look at these babies aren't they adorable. The weather's likely to be in the

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-47543592346299030202010-01-04T20:01:00.006+08:002010-01-04T20:36:47.773+08:00

As I mentioned yesterday this little Santa is based on a little Waldorf elf ornament. He comes together very easily and is very enjoyable to make. A lovely little hand sewing job for those quiet moments. He's also made of things that I have around the house.You'll need: a little red and white felt (maybe some black if you want to add a belt or green if you'd like to make an elf) a pipe cleaner (

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-2601571894829585312010-01-03T20:10:00.006+08:002010-01-03T20:48:47.999+08:00

Wow the lead up to Christmas was hectic. I really feel like I didn't get to do much craft with Rainbow. Here's what we've been up to.First up some quick Christmas packaging for the "creche ladies" that look after my girls on Wednesday mornings. They're fabulous. The store-brought chocolates are simply inside a zip lock bag which has a folded piece of card stapled over the rolled up top. Finally

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-71124600456954940472010-01-03T20:05:00.004+08:002010-01-03T20:10:19.981+08:00

Good News: Budget doneBad News: Air conditioner blew up todayGood News: Russell stamped out fireBad News: 38 degrees today - hot hot week comingGood News: 8 days left of warrantyBad News: Company closed for Christmas HolidaysGood News: Re-opens tomorrow

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-80216063173277059602010-01-02T19:53:00.004+08:002010-01-02T20:16:06.506+08:00

Happy New YearWhat do you do with your left over cranberry sauce. Ours usually sits in the fridge for 6 months before being thrown out. I often wonder if I should just throw it out once we finish the leftover turkey. This year I stumbled across this recipe at Coconut and Lime. It looks pretty innocent doesn't it. But inside this sweet chewy cake is a ribbon of cranberry sauce. The tart sauce

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-46866693328456573572009-12-28T20:32:00.011+08:002010-01-06T21:25:36.167+08:00

I had planned on posting some Christmas craft but I'm still finishing one thing off. I know it's three days too late but that's just the way somethings go.So instead here is part 2 of Rainbow's Beautiful Bug Party. You can find part 1 here. Though I hadn’t planned on throwing a party, the best bit for me was how involved Rainbow could be. It inspired her craft for weeks. We had great shopping

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-39404865211864805012009-12-27T13:39:00.004+08:002009-12-27T14:54:45.695+08:00

We normally have 3 Christmas dinners - all roast turkey! The first was the Tuesday before with Russell's Dad and his wife. The second was Christmas eve at our place. Here's desert - a fruit tart. The best thing about a summer Christmas has to be summer fruit - peaches, nectarines, cherries, grapes...This tart was delicious - short crust filled with creme patisserie and fresh fruit.This was my

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-2577439034892976072009-12-26T13:13:00.011+08:002009-12-26T14:21:50.622+08:00

I can't believe we're on the other side of Christmas.I hope you had a wonderful one.It was quite frantic in the lead up to Christmas. I was still wrapping presents and finishing one of Moonshine's on Christmas morning. I had hope to post some of the things I was working on but time didn't allow for blogging.Shall I start with the girl's gifts.Here's Rainbow's letter to Santa. It was actually

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-7843904492716714112009-12-15T20:06:00.004+08:002009-12-15T20:23:39.699+08:00

We had a mixed weekend away. Russell ended up very sick and it was really to hot to be out in the bush. The favourite part for Rainbow and I was definitely Sunday morning at Elephant Rocks. It's a tiny bay next to the main swimming beach. It's perfect for kids. It is completely flat and a very gradual slope. It also has a lovely little freshwater stream that trickles from a spring into the bay (

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-18609232106854368562009-12-10T20:46:00.006+08:002009-12-10T21:02:29.425+08:00

Tomorrow's advent is a little message saying "Look in the tree." Rainbow will find a little white box to go with her felt board and dolls. The dolls come from here and I simply draw around them to create clothes. As we're heading off on our very long car trip I've made her a smaller felt board to go with it. "What's the easiest way to make a felt board?" you may ask. Buy a cheap frame from a

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-76224443389221071682009-12-10T10:40:00.012+08:002010-01-06T21:27:26.249+08:00

Way back in June, Rainbow's cousin had a spider cake for one of his birthday celebrations. Since then Rainbow has declared that she too was going to have a spider cake. It has wavered a little at times, especially after seeing some wonderful cakes at parties but eventually returns to a spider cake. I also hadn't planned on throwing a party this year but Rainbow kept talking about "at my party" so

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-39225260900101203282009-12-10T10:30:00.003+08:002009-12-10T10:39:54.832+08:00

Little Moonshine and I are now sick with the virus that Rainbow had. Thankfully Rainbow's aunty has kindly taken her for the morning as her first question each day is "Where are we going today?" Moonshine is fast asleep and hopefully will stay that way for a little while. I meanwhile have an ear infection as well as a head cold. I've tried to sleep while Moonshine is sleeping but my body

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-67029577085697289942009-12-07T20:16:00.009+08:002009-12-07T20:56:49.200+08:00

Well Rainbow's birthday has come and gone. The day started well with pancakes for breakfast. Rainbow's first present was her birthday crown “It’s lovely. It’s what a queen wears.”This is straight from refugee crafter's very clear and simple tutorial. I'm so pleased with how it turned out and I have made another one for Moonshine's first birthday.She then got very excited when she saw there were

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-58123322178935006632009-12-02T19:42:00.005+08:002009-12-02T20:01:42.426+08:00

Yesterday was our big Christmas tree putting up evening. I won't post a photo yet as it's still missing the addition of the train, teddy bear family and the sleigh of soft toys that live under the tree. The tree and it's zillion decorations was enough. We have a fairly traditional romantic Christmas tree with lots of twinkly lights and an array of ornaments, many of which were gifts or collected

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-231144899052712162009-12-01T06:56:00.004+08:002009-12-01T07:08:53.779+08:00

Christmas Pudding is done!Since I've taken this on for the last few years I've been using Nigella's recipe.We all had a stir and a wish.Rainbow wished for "Fireworks for my Birthday" as did Sophie in "A Princess' Secret Wish".Thankfully when Grandma asked the next day what she had wished for she couldn't remember.

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-83391498339878094262009-12-01T06:41:00.002+08:002009-12-01T06:55:53.155+08:00

The next birthday was for a lover of tigers. We used this idea from Kids Craft Weekly to stamp the stripes using the side of a dry sponge, we substituted a tiger for the zebra.. When we first did this activity when Rainbow was 18 months we also did spotty cheetahs using a cork. This is one of my favourite newsletter as the crafts are really great for little kids that are at an experimental

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-19409112955744871662009-11-25T20:44:00.005+08:002009-11-25T20:59:04.452+08:00

Here's the card. This week we went for a shaker style card. The background was a painted sea scape. The window was made of two layers of packing box with a window cut out using a Stanley knife.Then it was topped with a piece of plastic cut from the packaging of a toy.The shaker then was filled with some little shells and a cut out, coloured and glittered mermaid.Last mermaid picture, this one

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-87678826285731706072009-11-23T20:10:00.009+08:002009-11-25T20:43:43.540+08:00

I wouldn't normally dream of dressing my girls in matching outfits but rules are made to be broken. Here's Moonshine's outfit made from offcuts of Rainbow's plus a little tulle (15cm should do). This is made from an existing pant pattern. Alternatively you could pick up a cheap pair of pants from an op shop and cut them up to draw your pattern. Cutting the PatternI will insert the diagram showing

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-40001863468238418772009-11-21T20:02:00.010+08:002009-11-22T13:23:31.417+08:00

This weekend we went to a mermaid party so obviously the girls needed a little transformation. From my internet surfing I found you have two options a tight skirt that frills out at the bottom or a long skirt with a fish tail hanging off the back. I opted for the later because it's a more literal translation for a two year old and more practical for playing. Interestingly it was the costume

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-15794369617125926072009-11-21T19:50:00.004+08:002009-11-21T20:01:20.674+08:00

Look what I found at the beach today. Two lovely little mermaids.So I took them home and put them to bed. This little mermaid slept for 2 hours. This little merbaby slept for 3 hours.It's tiring being a mermaid!

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-15035514440595820212009-11-19T20:08:00.005+08:002009-11-19T20:16:15.848+08:00

I've been busy this week designing and making costumes for the next birthday party - a mermaid and pirate party. I will post pictures as soon as it's finished and some clues as to how to go about making your own. To make Moonshine's costume 'crawler friendly' I've opted for shorts. So the first task was recutting an existing pattern for pants into shorts. Here's the test model.

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-74321704612755997452009-11-17T20:08:00.004+08:002009-11-19T20:17:26.866+08:00

Not very long ago I had only five pins. Dress making is very challenging with only 5 pins. You probably shouldn't ask me how I came to only have five pins. It's a bit of a 'sore' point (literally and figuratively) with my husband. So I purchased this box from my local op shop. I wonder what stories these little pins could tell. Have they held up a wedding dress, shortened a christening gown or

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-89287768727921574722009-11-17T19:57:00.003+08:002009-11-17T20:07:23.933+08:00

Moonshine enjoys finger food and I enjoy not having to feed her so we're cooking lots of the finger food that we used when Rainbow was little. This one is super easy and makes enough for all three of us for lunch. It can be eaten warm or cold and tastes good too. Mash together: 1 medium potato (cooked and mashed - I cook extra the night before)1 T butter100g tin of tuna (in springwater or a

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-56337425358743552322009-11-14T20:27:00.001+08:002009-11-14T20:43:31.332+08:00

Remember months ago I told you about Trixi's adorable little travelling doll's house. Well the other day I was showing my husband on the website and Rainbow saw the pictures and fell in love. So the other day we made one. When I say we I mean I made it to Rainbow's specifications while trying to keep tiny buttons out of Moonshine's grasp. The photos are a little shoddy but isn't it so cute.

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-17170663484450447592009-11-14T20:20:00.004+08:002009-11-14T20:45:25.246+08:00

Moonshine crawled for the first time yesterday. It was suddenly like she knew what she was meant to be doing with her legs. She had previously been moving her arms then bunny hopping her knees. The first time she lifted one knee she lifted it so high that she fell over sideways. Then after that she worked it out. The first crawl was just to her toybox. Since then she's done a lot of practising.

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-87663049398120671532009-11-11T07:00:00.004+08:002009-11-11T07:07:57.080+08:00

Hey, have you noticed I've got two new followers. How did that happen! It's strange - it gives you a real sense of audience. I now think - I wonder if they'll be interested in this. Anyway - welcome, enjoy, leave heaps of comments. Oh and come back and check the commetns because I do tend to reply - I think I need more social contact over the course of a day. And if there are any topics that

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-48923496879842240962009-11-11T06:57:00.001+08:002009-11-11T06:59:02.531+08:00

As of yesterday Moonshine has now been out of my tummy longer than she was in it. Unbelievable!

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-87627847376046812322009-11-10T13:11:00.004+08:002009-11-10T15:42:08.764+08:00

We know 26 children that are born between September and December (including Rainbow) and only 5 over the other 8 months. Currently a lot of our craft is around making cards and most of our play is around birthday parties for the dolls. And very soon a lot of my craft is going to be about planning a party for Rainbow.This is one card we did on the weekend. (The invitation and cakes (yes there were

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-46390538745078388712009-11-10T13:09:00.003+08:002009-11-10T14:09:30.588+08:00

When Russell went into collect Moonshine this morning the first thing he saw was her nappy on the floor. There she was sitting at the top of her bed in a rather large puddle. So now I have two girls who don't want to keep their clothes on! Thank goodness for our warm climate.

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-4915075203366582362009-11-09T14:27:00.003+08:002009-11-09T15:01:12.424+08:00

We went to 3 parties this weekend (a first, a second and a third). Each party ending with an enormous party bag. When I was little the party bag contained a handful of lollies. These days they contain drinks, chips, bags of biscuits, mini chocolate bars, games, toys, stickers and the lollies. Last year I use to take out all the toffee style lollies and lolly pops and drip feed the rest to her

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-76724712434963556222009-11-05T08:38:00.003+08:002009-11-05T20:10:41.924+08:00

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-14979374734670528382009-11-04T20:18:00.004+08:002009-11-04T20:54:26.136+08:00

The past two mornings have started at 4.40. Damn you West Aussies for voting no to daylight savings!Every cloud has a silver lining. It's amazing to have the kids dressed and fed and Moonshine down for a nap before Russell leaves for work. I've also had time for some baking.Yesterday I baked a Nigella Lawson chocolate cake. I found this one on the Internet. It's not a sinful as most of her cakes

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-62253891219815418942009-11-02T21:14:00.005+08:002009-11-02T21:30:37.041+08:00

Can you tell what this is? The photo isn't so good and I kind of squished it with the tweezer. Look who got their second tick! What sort of mother takes a photo before removing parasite from baby. Our ticks don't have lymes disease (like the ones in the northern hemisphere) or cause paralysis (like those in the eastern states). By the time I got the tweezers it actually had let go so Moonshine

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-13809997170673835242009-11-01T21:04:00.011+08:002009-11-02T14:00:54.422+08:00

I feel like a mouse on a treadmill at the moment. I seem to no sooner finish one job when it needs to be done again.But anyway...Zoe from "Playing by the Book" has a new website. To celebrate she is giving away a book (chosen from those she has reviewed) to one lucky visitor who leaves a comment on her new blog. So in honour of Zoe I decided to do a 'Zoe Style' entry. On Thursday Rainbow and I

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-7272763897273966812009-10-28T14:54:00.006+08:002009-10-28T15:06:28.721+08:00

Jandakot Airport's plans to clear bush to put in an access road threatens the Caladenia Huegelii. 45 percent of known specimens are found on this piece of land.This is our friend Clive's car. He was out taking photographs. The rather aggressive bulldozer drivers obviously noticed his WANOSCG (Western Australian Native Orchid Study and Conservation Group) sticker.

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-6931360907682685862009-10-25T20:49:00.003+08:002009-10-25T21:13:48.243+08:00

We had a heat wave last week. 37.9 degrees in October! It got me thinking about summer sleeping. In our dink days we put separate air conditioning units in to our bedroom and the living room as our roof was too low for ducted. The house gets hot and the house gets cold. In winter Moonshine sleeps in a fleece sleeping bag and flannelette sheets. (Home made when I wondered if Rainbow woke at night

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-43108305576268112542009-10-25T20:45:00.004+08:002009-10-25T20:48:53.338+08:00

Why is there a spider and a shark dwelling in Rainbow's underwear drawer? The spider moved in three weeks ago but was recently joined by the shark. What do they talk about?

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-18342503366980816542009-10-20T13:30:00.005+08:002009-10-20T13:41:16.124+08:00

This gorgeous idea is from Zoe at Playing by the Book. http://www.kuvik.net/ztoft/playingbythebook/2009/10/16/a-crown-of-fire/We had fun making the crown (while Moonshine ate nasturtiums) and then acting out the story of "The Frog Prince" (3 times). The finer details were a little lost on Rainbow who was very keen to share her dinner, her bed and a kiss with the frog. Once the kissed frog

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-29943765091469535352009-10-17T15:08:00.023+08:002009-10-20T13:24:55.194+08:00

I love this fabric. I wish I brought more of it. If I buy fabric without a purpose in mind, I normally buy 60 cm - enough to make a pair of pants or a dress for either girl. This is the fabric I just used to trim the top to match Rainbow's ice cream pants. It was initially used for a pair of pants (first for Rainbow but now worn by Moonshine) with matching applique top . That t-shirt like many

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-25719911179857292412009-10-17T14:03:00.003+08:002009-10-17T14:21:36.002+08:00

This is another blog that I'll probably regret writing. It doesn't really fit under the bilbification label. People without little children 's eyes gaze over when mothers of babies talk about sleep. Moonshine's separation anxiety has been building up over the last few weeks and with it the return of her sleeping problems. It's frustrating - she is the most delightful happy little baby - until

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-67528716997269194042009-10-15T19:26:00.005+08:002009-10-17T20:31:50.065+08:00

I really like this skirt. I think this is the type of skirt I'd have loved to wear it. It calls to me. Everytime I walked past it draped over the sewing machine, I'd pick it up and hold it up against me. Doesn't Rainbow look so grown up!It's the result of another tutorial. www.kukyideas.com/journal/2006/07/tiered-skirt-tutorial.html. It's a funny process. When you cut the pieces out they seem

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-41705674547291966382009-10-15T14:20:00.002+08:002009-10-15T14:24:24.432+08:00

These cookies are really good. They have that crispy, chewy nature of choc-chip cookies which I guess is the lovely combination of sugar and butter. Not exactly the 'healthy' baked goods I had planned when I searched for cornflake and sultana cookies but absolutely delicious. www.taste.com.au/.../sultana+cornflake+cookiesGo on try them

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-45342347150430871582009-10-14T19:58:00.005+08:002009-10-15T13:36:38.484+08:00

(Don't you name all of your outfits!)A few finished outfits to parade. It's more challenging getting a posed photo of Rainbow then it is making them! Both of these outfits are from the same pattern. I'll write it in when I get a chance. I use to avoid both button holes and zips but I'm really pleased how well the zips went in with these tops - particularly the pink one. This one was meant to

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-33601944618152542732009-10-09T15:09:00.008+08:002009-10-10T18:49:59.760+08:00

I did it - I finished Moonshine's overalls in time for going away. The weather has been so glorious this past two weeks since we returned that she hasn't worn them since the trip and may not - though they have a little room to grow lengthwise so I'm hopeful they will still fit come autumn otherwise they may be worn on spring evenings out. When I brought the pattern Rainbow loved overalls but had

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-74067996848927163692009-09-21T15:06:00.003+08:002009-09-21T15:34:16.541+08:00

I only sew at two times - during afternoon nap time and after the girls are in bed. Occasionally I try to complete a task as the girls wake but this is the consequence.Yes, I did leave her with the scissors while I went to collect the camera. Later she actually had the blade of my very sharp fabric scissors in her mouth!PS the fabulous quilt Moonshine is sitting on was made for Rainbow by her

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830308053178683374.post-40248420367220625252009-09-15T21:04:00.004+08:002009-09-15T21:08:53.841+08:00

Three posts in one day. I must have too much time on my hand. Thought I'd share Rainbow Girl's afternoon tea. The one on the left is a tiger. The first two sultanas are eyes. The next two are sharp teeth sticking out of it's dried apple mouth. The second animal is obviously an elephant complete with prune feet. I love her flexibility. Dried Apricot could be stripes or a trunk. I also love

Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920161435091174646noreply@blogger.com0