Happy mail day

Some time ago Jhoanna emailed me to suggest a swap....one of her softies for one of my smocks, sized to her younger daughter. And little did I know how wonderful it would be, because Happy Chibi Eloise arrived today along with a host of other lovely goodies, which I'm keeping to myself for now, because they're all so pretty.


I didn't realise the scale of her dolls until this one came and set up camp on our couch. Just so you get the idea I asked the bub to pose with Eloise..........


....as you can see, she's too excited to sit still. Okay, take two!


"Clicked the picture yet? I'm sitting still!" My daughter, the budding comedian.


Thanks, Jhoanna! We both love Eloise very much!

What's a girl to do

The bub's away today for her very first day at child-care....just one day a week for now. I think I'm suffering from separation anxiety, and to think that in my haste to feel some freedom, I forgot to say goodbye to her. Pooh! Serves me right!

So I ended up doing a bit of morning shopping in the city.


This craft book has some pretty, girly summer dresses. Its also available here.


The cover outfit and the ones on these two page spreads are my favourites.


I ended up getting some clothes as well, since the sales are on. I can't remember the last time I shopped for any clothes....must've been just after the birth last year, to get some less tent-like pieces to fit into. How depressing it was! I felt like mutton dressed as lamb....since when did thirty-something girls dress like teeny boppers?! And yet everywhere I looked in the city...a score of ladies, including those older than me are trying to channel the Lindsay Lohan look.

Methinks I really need to start making my own clothes! Anyway, I must get my butt away from this computer and shorten some trouser cuffs.....and try not to miss the bub, much.

Meet the boys

I just realised now that I have occasionally referred to our two furry house hoggers, but never properly introduced you.

May I present to you Master Jasper....the other apple of the geezer's eye and the biggest sook. This is what he looks like after his regular wash, cut and blowdry.


Then after a scant few weeks, back to this hairy and mangy slut of a mutt. He's a cross shihtzu-maltese, so a very cute doggy, indeed. In fact, I always forget that he's almost 10 years old because of his size......except when he goes to bed and out-snores us all humans.


And this is our tearaway he-cat named Pasha, who hardly has any photos because he's camera-shy. He's a siamese cross alley-cat. This one used to be an indoor dweller, but once he tasted the outdoors he couldn't get enough of it.


So far all the kiddos are co-habiting happily together. Although that may change when the bub learns walking and chasing.

Okay, folks. This insomniac must plod on to bed now....if you must know it's about 4am. Blah!

Eatable spots

Some time back (was it just last week?) Anna had tagged me to list my top five eating spots and I was quite chuffed to be tagged. You see, the geezer and I consider ourselves to be food snobs, but not the sort that goes to the top expensive nosheries, although we're not averse to trying them out on occasion. Nope. We like finding hidden gems, which most importantly need to not just serve good meals, but to also have excellent service and value. I think I picked a lot of this up from my sister, who just happens to be a trained commercial chef. The geezer on the other hand, picked up his food-pickiness from his dad, who drives a long distance out of his way just to get good food and fresh produce.

(1) My first one is the Cheesecake Factory on the main drag of Waikiki in Hawaii. The geezer and I went on a fortnight's holiday two years ago to one of his favourite stomping grounds. A friend of mine had recommended this place and WHOA! You can tell a place is good when crowds are queueing outside the door for more than 30 minutes. The menu reads like a novel and the cheesecake list was to-die-for. We ate there about three or four times and had to walk around the big block twice so we can fit in dessert, which we had in hand conveniently boxed. I want to go back just to try out the other menu items.


(2) My second pick is the Tea Room at Gunners Barracks here in Sydney. I have a soft spot for this place, because the geezer took me here for our anniversary this year. We had harbour views and the food was mouth-watering to say the least. The cuisine is modern Australian, whatever that is...I think I had some lamb loin with scallops and greens. But the highlight is the selection of teas and the tall platter of sandwiches, scones and cakes if you go there for high tea. Makes you feel like a right real lady, when you go to high tea! Where are my gloves?

(3) My third would have to be Italy, the whole entire country! I went there for a month six years ago just backpacking around. On my budget at the time, I didn't want to blow everything on food, since there were also the shoes to be oggled and tried on. You can get pizza and paninis at the little coffee bars, washed down with italian-style hot chocolate...sort of gravy-like in consistency, very bitter sweet and very evil. Then there was one tiny trattoria in Florence which we ate at three evenings in a row just for the yummy rissotto. As far as I'm concerned, you can't go wrong with eating anywhere in that country, especially if you manage to find a place where an old italian grandma is doing the actual cooking.

(4) The next one is another local place called Sushi Samurai, except we hardly order any sushi when we're here, barring the chirashi sushi, which is more of a salad than a roll. Everyone is so polite at this place! The say hello, lots of thank yous and open the door for you on your way out, while the entire staff says goodbye. And this is not a snobby place, at all. It's more like a hole in the wall. Everything is fresh and helpings are generous in size. My fave dish is the seaweed salad, along with the unagi eel. Yum!


(5) I'll copy Anna on this....as my fifth pick is my mum's and sister's place. My mum is a great cook and I'm always hanging out for the next opportunity when my sister cooks, since she's hardly ever on land now, having changed careers to get out of the kitchen to be an "air hostess". I think the technical term is "flight attendant" but "air hostess" sounds better. Anyway, my mum's and sister's spreads when they throw something big, usually around Christmas are always abundantly tasty.....especially my mum's pineapple glazed ham.

Okay, folks! Except for Anna, I'm tagging everyone who commented on my last post. That would be Jhoanna, Belinda, Di and Kirsty.

Edit: I'm also tagging Corrie and Cathy. Better late than never, ladies. And I'm eager to see some good Melbourne eating spots.

And what's up with the fabric photo's, when this is supposed to be a foodie write-up? The first pic are some vintage summer-weight suiting check fabric that my mum gave me last weekend from her stash. I think they're Kenzo fabrics. I've been checking the northern hemisphere fashion sites and it looks like the checks will be headed our way in about six months. Maybe a skirt's hiding in there for the bub. The second pic is my latest wip-to-be after I've finished another two smocks, because some quilt has decided to finally come home...he he he.

Have a good weekend!

Dodgy haircut & other mishaps

Well, that time off wasn't too bad...but still not as productive as I would've liked. I spent too much time replacing towels on window sills when that huge deluge was happening late last week.

Over the long weekend the geezer's bum was permanently stuck on the couch watching Season 5 of 24 on DVD. I couldn't help it! Of course I got hooked. And we've got another three episodes left!


This smock would have to be my favourite. Not for the etsy shop, though. Its going to one lucky girl in the Blue Mountains here in Sydney.


Then, the geezer had the "brilliant" idea of taking the bub to his local little old man italian barber for a fringe trim, since its now covering her eyes. She now looks like a boy and its not even straight. Poor bub!


But my biggest piece of bad luck would have to be the computer crash that happened straight after my previous post last week. No email and no internet for more than a week has made me very grumpy. Hrmph!

Anyway, this dang machine came back from the pc doctor last night running smoother and faster, with the email still on strike. Ack!!! So, dear peeps, apologies for not replying to your comments or attending to your emails, since my internet broadband provider is still hoarding them until they send me a new email password...and I'm not holding my breath for those slow pokes.

A stack of smocks

Thanks, everyone, for all your good cheer for the bub's first birthday! A good day was had by all. This week, I'm planning to focus on sewing up a storm of these toddler smocks to get the momentum going.

So I'll leave you with the new stack.....


some fabric porn.....


and an as yet, clean work table which will be like a rubbish tip in no time, I'm sure.


I'm going to take a week's blogging break to hopefully emerge next week with more smocks and some new goodies to show.

Okay, I'm off to rev up the sewing machine, now.

A tale of two parties

Two guests lists, two cakes, two lots of cooking and a smorgasboard of bites. One in the morning, another for the late afternoon shift. That's how we managed to fit everyone who was anyone....you know, the ones who'll be scandalised if we left them off the guest list.

Upsides....the bub had a beauty sleep in the middle of the day, while I sent the geezer up to the grocery for an emergency dash. She was smiley and well-behaved the whole time. No tanties! Except she looks like a stunned mullet in this photo. Downsides....it was a loooong day. The geezer and I were so bone-tired we almost fell asleep on the couch.

And the sweet little patoutie is one! Wowee!

Where she holds on to her package

Socially awkward situation finally averted. I managed to hold on tightly to my lucky dip package during this morning's blog meet with Belinda, Corrie and Claudine....and look what I scored!!!


Belinda made this gorgeous patchwork scarf from wool, some superbuzzy fabric, a vintage button and some thick linen blend material, which feels so cosy and warm against my neck. Can't see it properly? Here's a better pic.

The scarf is so well-made, too. By the way, if you haven't visited yet, Belinda has an etsy shop, where you can get your hands on her beautiful cushions. Thanks so much, Belinda!

Next on the hit list....how to feed the marauding hordes tomorrow.