Zoo

We had some free passes for the zoo so we took the kids over a few weekends ago.

We always take a photo of the girls with this giant Koala. The girls are getting bigger and he is getting more tatty.We just happened to turn up at the elephants when the show was on. The babies were very cute trying to do everything and at the end the elephants sprayed water everywhere. This one even sprayed the trainer when she turned her back.

We were pretty lucky all day as the animals were out and about and it was feeding time at lots of the exhibits, including the lions and tigers so they were very active.

Blogtoberfest

I don't know where the year is going but it is October already and that means Blogtoberfest. Once again Cathy and Cam are the hostesses with the mostesses. I'm hoping that I can blog everyday but it is going to be a struggle and you may have to put up with some unusual posts.

So if you haven't joined pop over here and grab a blog button and get posting.

And yes I am counting this as todays post!

Sorry I went missing there. Life just seemed to get in the way. I've been buying some fabrics at different places lately and I think more could be on the cards while the dollar is looking good.

These are from Marie-Madeline Studio and are Freestyle Spirit. They had a half price sale a few weeks ago when something different was on sale each day.
Next up are a few fabrics I picked up at Amy's last Friday night while we were there checking out her new storage and fondling fabric. I had a great night talking fabric with Sheridan, Mel, Belinda and of course Amy and can't wait to do it again.

Lastly some fabric I picked up yesterday at Hobbysew while killing time on my way to pick up Charlotte and Lucy who had spent a few days with my Aunt in Bowral.

Going Green

I'm very excited. I saw this on a blog post somewhere a month or so ago (sorry I can't remember where, although I have seen some others post about it too recently). I sent the lovely folks at Inner Green an email and they sent me a free sample to try. It arrived ages ago and I've been slack because I didn't have anything to stuff then I remembered I'd bought some Sweetie Petites from Lisa at the Red Thread while I was at Mathildas. The Sweetie Petites kits come with stuffing just to be clear, but it meant I could do a comparison.

Just so we are clear stuffing is not the easiest thing to photograph.

The Inner Green one is on the right. It felt so lovely and soft I kept wanting to touch it. The Inner Green toy filling is made from 100% natural corn.

I used the Inner Green in the red doll, with a little of the other added in because I didn't have enough and I used normal stuffing in the blue one. I definitely didn't use as much when stuffing the red one and it feels a little firmer but with less stuffing, so the head of the red one is not as puffed out (who knew it was so hard to describe stuffing!).

I think it compares quite will price-wise too. I can't wait forthe cushion inserts to arrive I think they will feel lovely, made I can prise Lucy's manky cushion from her hands. I'll definitely be using this for my stuffing in future.

10 years on

New fabric and op-shop fabric

I seem to be buying lots of fabric lately that I don't actually want to use. I bought all of these from Amy.My blogless crafty friend Peta picked up this vintage sheet for me
Then I found a new op-shop near work this week. It seem a little bit more expensive than normal but I picked up this vintage sheet set (looks like it had never come out of the package) for $10 (single fitted, flat and pillowcase) and the game below for Charlotte for $5. I'm pretty sure I'll be going back there on a weekly basis.

Happy Fathers Day

Happy Fathers Day to the daddy in our house.

He got a nice sleep in
A mug from Lucy that she made at pre-school

A bookmark and card made by Charlotte in class and a dad keyring from the Fathers Day stall.

Then he got to spend the day with his girls while I went to cheer on the Swans!

We've been cooking

There's been some cooking going on over at our house this week.

Lucy loves helping in the kitchen so we made these cakes for Cake Day at Charlotte's school. They are really yummy and moist. The recipe is from here (you have to scroll down a little).

We also made these cheese and bacon rounds. I got the recipe from an online forum.

They are yummy and super easy to make. Here is Lucy making them so anyone can do it.

CHEESE AND BACON ROUNDS

200g diced bacon
2c of grated cheese
1 sml onion finely diced
1c of SR flour
1/2c of milk
1 egg beaten
1tspn of french/dijon mustard

Method

Place bacon, cheese, onion and flour in a bowl.
Combine milk, egg and mustard in a small jug then add mixture to dry ingredients, stir until combined.
Line an oven tray with baking paper, spoon Tablespoonfuls of the mixture onto the tray, allow enough room for spreading.
Bake in a hot oven 200deg for 20 mins or unil golden.

(We left our the mustard and I used spring onions as my kids aren't big on onions)

Book Week Hat Parade

Charlotte's school did a hat parade this year instead of a dress up which meant much less pressure. Of course we left it to this week to organise something and our first idea was 10 Apples Up on Top but we couldn't get any plastic apples anywhere. So we went with Cat in the Hat but we did a little play on words and put a cat in the hat!

Charlotte did it all herself so I was really pleased with her effort.

New Obsession

I'm blaming this all on Amy. After she posted this the other day I have been totally obsessed with new paper (as opposed to my obsession with vintage paper).

I've trawled online shops and then today I thought I would duck out to Fred the Needle and have a look at what they had.
I didn't get everything I wanted but I did get a nice selection. I checked out the fabric but I think Amy has probably cleaned them out. I did pop in to another fabric store out there as well and picked up these two fabrics on sale.

Gifts

Some friends of ours from school are off to America next week for a holiday so I made the kids these notebook holders to take with them.

I based it on the one this lovely friend made me. I did mine a little differently, I didn't quilt the front which meant I could just put it together with right sides facing and then turn it out.

I loved making them they were super quick once I got the measurements worked out (the first one was too small for the notebook).

I made them a vintage paper covered pencil to go with it.

I hope they love them and have a great holiday.

As You Like It Swap

Excitement this week in the shell. My package for Trash's As You Like It Swap arrived yesterday. My swap partner was Ali and boy did she do a great job. The swap involved posting 3 or 4 likes and then your partner had to put together a package containing 4 items using 1, some or all of your likes. My choices were: vintage, aqua and Japanese Kawaii. Ali decided to use all the words and this is what she sent me:

Box of awesomeness

Book of cuteness (not game to sow my girls this)

Tiny bunting made from vintage paper

Tiny aqua jumper

Bird clips

Kawaii stickers

Vintage aqua thread

Softie

Vintage buttons

Vintage aqua ribbon

Kawaii tape that I am not showing my girls

Thanks so much Ali I love everything. More photos including the gorgeous packaging here