I am really really loving where we live right now. It is a gem of a spot. Our little duplex is just two streets back from the beach. It is so fast to walk or ride there that whinging on the way back is a real rarity! 

We went there today. There is a strip of scrubland along the shoreline, so a little walk through the ‘jungle’ is required to get there. Zoe kept telling us about the stick insects, there are lots there apparently. She can hear them. We saw some animal poo on the path that Tate decided was wombat poo and the wombat must’ve escaped from Australia Zoo. Hmmm, there was also some mention of a panda. I think we need to do a bit more learning about native animals.

As they do, the kids ended up stripping down to their undies for a swim. A great antidote to grumpy tired child syndrome.

I have a feeling that this place is going to be more and more fun as the weather warms up. I can’t wait!

Oh, I got some cute new graphics from that wonderful place known as ETSY! In particular, mine were from RetroGraphics and I couldn’t fault her fast and friendly service, affordability and original designs. I just noticed the store is closed until the 15th of August. Well worth looking at after that if you’re in the market!

 Cheerio!!

Hi!

Not much to share today. I’ve been going to bed really early this week, and night time is craft time

More brooches

 Displayed on a very very cute book.

Doesn’t this little pattern girl look like Cindy Brady?

I just can’t wait to set up my sewing machine at the new place on the weekend! A very different creative space

Thanks to Kirsty! Get over to hers to check out who else is mcs-ing it this week!

Oh yes, I am counting! Only three more nights in uncomfortable, too small beds. Three more days of long walks to the amenities block (this means the dunnies). Three lovely days of caravan park friends, jumping pillows, school holiday train rides, movie nights and a teeny tiny kitchen. Saturday we’re OUTTA HERE! And it couldn’t come sooner.

Today we headed up to Eumundi Market. It was very busy, due to school holidays, but so much fun. I love how Tate dances whenever he hears music. There were lots of performers about, and he made sure we stopped at every one to boogie and listen and gave each and every one a little bit of money. The kids each got a super special balloon creation, Zoe a big fairy wand and Tate a light sabre. Oh, he doesn’t know about Star Wars yet, I realised when he was dashing about being a pirate. Bless. They ate delicious banana ice cream, I ate delicious arancini balls.

We bought a little tutu for a new little friend. We are going to her party on Saturday. I made the mistake of letting Zoe try it on… she is refusing to take it off.

On the way home we stopped at the super big lifeline distribution centre on Maroochydore Rd. A big OP SHOP. Its the second time we’ve been there and although big, there isn’t alot to interest me. I’ll take my camera next time, the huge collection of Decor wine coolers looks very funny. We came out with books (of course!) and a couple of sewing patterns. Zoe begged me to buy the plush cow chair and Tate a very very big plush snake. I managed to escape without either and without tears, thanks to old issues of ‘k-zone’ and ‘little angel’   for 50c each.

Oh, and Mr Tweetheart bought a tinny. Tate is very pleased  indeed!

Yes, that title immediately brings to my mind that Blur song. The kids and I do go hand in hand, lots and lots in fact. Holding hands across the road, ringing a rosie on the jumping pillow, skipping our way through puddles past smiling Grey Nomads. Yep, lots of hand holding. Zoe has mastered the CUTEST SKIPPING EVER. It isn’t as graceful as one might expect from a girl so sweet, but it is REAL skipping that she has been trying to hard to do. I must get a video of it. I think I’ll start calling her ‘dirt girl’. Any chance she is in the dirt or  mud…

Our caravan park life will soon be coming to an end. We’ve found a great little furnished unit really close to the beach. We’ll be there until mid September, and what happens then is still being worked out. The unit is ACE! Perfect for our little family and will seem like pure luxury after living the park life for the last few months, and remember we moved out of our own place all the way back in January!

Oh, and Tate had a hair cut today. At the barber!

Did you know this is my 97th post on this blog? It has taken far too long to get here, but I’m thinking a special giveaway should be on the cards for post 100. Hmmm, I sure have enough birdie brooches to give away. I wonder what else I can rustle up?

xoxo

This week has been rather good. Mr Tweetheart hasn’t worked much which does alot for my sanity!

Zoe bought this two dollar fairy dress from the op shop. I can’t believe I said ‘no’ to the Barbie car.

Riding on the Ginger Train got the big thumbs up

We went bike riding of one kind… (note the matching cheesy smiles!)

and another.

How cute is this old bike? I’m not sure if we should ‘refurb’ it or keep it original. What do you think? I want it red!

The kids are wearing their bathers or ’swimming costumes’ (as Tate says) in preparation for the pool. We went and booked in for swimming lessons. They start tomorrow! I hope it goes well. They haven’t been to a lesson in 2 years or so. Whoops. Where did that time go?

We went up to Eumundi markets yesterday. We got there fairly late, but just in time for a pony ride. UNFORTUNATELY I didn’t have my camera, because the smiles on those faces were priceless. Miniature ponies are SUPER cute. Bringing a smile to MY face was the most amazing rocky road! Macadamia rocky road, no less. Honestly the BEST I have had. How am I to resist a trip up there on Saturday for more?

Oh yes, we are liking the Sunshine Coast!

So I started writing this big post about all the places we’ve been and the things we’ve done. There is so much though! I’ll start small.

All in all it is going great. The couple’s counselling we needed was this trip. The kiddies are happy and healthy. Sure, there are more bruises and scabs than I’ve ever seen on the two of them, but that can only mean one thing…. Adventure!

Now I have this web connection sorted I’ll be pottering around here, letting you know about my various ‘entertaining kids in the car’ techniques, crafty endeavours and my exciting business ideas.

I’ve just been on google reader catching up on SO many blogs, joys of joys. I have so much to share. I just have to get it down! Here are a few pics from the trip to get started.

Zoe the shadow girl. This was just after we saw the dolphins.

The three cousins and the very tired butterfly

Fishing in Sydney

Puddles in Byron Bay

Yep, we’re having fun.  I do wish you were here though!

xoxo

I know I was there a whole week ago, which seems like a long time BUT isn’t!

We had such an awesome time. We stayed at Jubilee Lake Caravan Park which is just gorgeous. There’s a lake complete with ducks, heaps of lillies and canoes to hire.

 There are TONNES of Blackberries, ready to pick! I was assured they hadn’t been sprayed, so pick we did! YUM.

There are birds to feed! Rosellas, cockys, ducks and Peacocks all visited our caravan for some seed and bread.

Zoe was so patient and quiet. Her brother struggled in the keeping quiet department.

On Saturday we got up early and visited the farmers market. Tate ate a WHOLE red capsicum on the way around. Bless him. He then complained of a sore mouth, poor poss.

From the farmers market we strolled down to the MAKERS MARKET! It was really awesome. There were stalls I recognised like Curlypops, Twiglet & Lark, and the lovely Nat at Moederkip! There were so many gorgeous things for kiddies. Mine wanted the scotty dog softies from Vintage Chenille. They got alphabet badges!

Zoe scored an ace Olivia dress from Moederkip. She chose the pink, what a surprise! It is totally a favourite. The cute pixie hood KILLS me. Too cute! She is wearing it in the above photo. I cannot rave enough about the quality of Nat’s creations.

All the stall holders were super nice and didn’t even seem to mind my uncontrollable children lying on the floor, running and asking a million questions. Thank you!

 The op shop in Daylesford was lovely too. The ladies were great, and I walked out with a new favourite shirt and cardi. Both GREEN!

But my most favourite and BEST shop was of course Lark. The Lark family are so lovely and I dig that place so incredibly much. I utterly do!

Now to talk Mr Tweetheart into moving there…

Sew I got stuck into my fabric stash, all prepared and ready to sort through and choose what I’ll be taking on ‘the trip’. Not this weekend’s mini break, I’ll only be taking the SHAWL there. Not the early March Noosa-for-a-wedding trip, that’ll be crochet too I imagine, but NOT the shawl, which will be finished by then I promise! No, I mean our super duper nomadic lifestyle around australia in a caravan trip.

 We are SO limited for space its not funny. BUT, my sewing machine IS coming, and with it the cutting mat/ironing surface thing, the ruler & cutter, sewing box, PATTERNS, mags, and um, fabric. The thing is that like most crafters I know, fabric stashes grow very quickly. I love fabric! It has been so hard to reduce and choose. Anyway, the fabric sorting was going well, and then I got distracted and made this.

The easiest dress EVER. It is a pilowcase dress made using regular fabric. For the polkadot strip along the bottom I used the selvege from another fabric = no hem! So fast! I whipped up a teatowel topper while I was at it. For the caravan! Photo to come of that one.  I thought of writing a tutorial for the teatowel topper, but seriously would anyone else want to make one?

More photos of the dress in action. The mean thing about this is that the REAL beach is only 300m down the hill. Yes, mean mummy prefers to buy ice creams than spend a hot  hour or two at the beach.

Oh wow,’boost’ on picnik really makes that red ZING!  Apologies for any damage to your retinas.

Now I have this great idea for ‘fess up Friday’, where I will reveal my deepest darkest… ok maybe not those…. but some stuff I bet you haven’t heard from me yet. Only thing is, tomorrow we are headed off to Daylesford for the weekend. And for the Maker’s Market YIPPEE! I may not be able to sneak in a fess up. Or maybe I’m just making excuses, OK ‘Fess Up Friday’ starts tomorrow. Feel free to join in

I’m afraid this will be a very boring post about my current predicament. You see we’re living in a kind of limbo land, somewhere between home and our home on wheels. Belongings have been boxed up, given away or sold. This includes shoes. The current mob still needs to be pared down (or is that ‘paired down’?) to fit our most humble abode-to-be.

Here they are

And my two ‘helpers’ who loved to try on all the shoes. Which on the steps seemed a bit dangerous!

The ladybird and dinosaur were added in Picnik… we had a fun time!

So as mentioned, our ’stuff’ is SLOWLY reducing. Bag after bag heading out the door to friends or to the oppies, who are my friends too. I’m not doing too badly with the shoes. I still haven’t found my nice sandals, purchased especially for this summer *sigh*, and Zoe’s left goldie is missing this week. Still that looks like TOO MANY for a caravan trip!

I’m being strongly encouraged to get stuck into my fabric stash. Yep, the best of it came here with me. It is so difficult to decide what to bring! The poor folks left behind to sit in storage for twelve months or more. Tomorrow is D-Day. Decision making time right here. One tub to take. Shown right here on this blog tomorrow night.

Wish me luck.

Oh, and show us your shoes!

Me? I want these for the wedding we’re going to in March…

thanks to Vic and Gypsy for My Place & Yours this week!

My sewing room is COMPLETELY EMPTY. You heard it here first…

We will be outta here by Saturday.

Indi (our cat) is going to live in Cairns! Providing I can get him on a plane.

I have managed to take some decent photos of Tate with his haircut, I endeavour to upload and share tomorrow - hold onto your hats!!

Today was SUPER busy at my place of employment, which may involve golf of the miniature variety

Kitchen and bathroom to be packed tonight, onto the bedrooms tomorrow. Any help welcomed wholeheartedly!

*****END*****