On the road again

Imagine my joy when LOML turned to me earlier this year and said "Where are you going on your annual road trip this year?"

It's annual! My once-in-a-lifetime escape by myself  is actually annual!

He's a good man, my man. He understands me and he knows how to make me sing.

The question remained: where am I going to go this year?

I'm heading out towards the end of July and I've always wanted to go to Tassie, so that was on the cards. I planned to visit Jane in Hobart and then mosey around the coast a little bit. But then LOML and I decided that we want to go to Tasmania for the first time as a family, so I've parked that idea for later in the year.

So now, I'm driving from Sydney to Daylesford and poking around there before driving home. A trip like that is going to be inspiration, creativity and promise all wrapped up in a handmade rug to warm the soul.

 Any suggestions on where to stay, where to visit, what to do? I'm all excited ears!

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Edited on 2.6.2011

Just wanted to say OF COURSE I'll be giving big smooches to Allison at Lark whilst in Daylesford (I am an avid eshopper already!). And I would have been having a cuppa at Kate's place too, but she'll be inconveniently off having a marvellous caravanning hol with the fam...

[Image by Margaret Metcalfe]

Wearing Clever Clogs

I'm taking a break from my Difficult People series. It was all a bit... difficult.  In its place, I'm introducing a new Thursday series called 'Wearing Clever Clogs'.

One of the things I love most about blogging is the way my imagination sparkles when I see what other people are creating. There are so many fine design, art and craft blogs out there and I would like the opportunity to swim in the fountain of their inspiration (so to speak). So I'll be asking them a few choice questions about their work and life and linking to some highlights on their blogs.

I am looking forward to opening up the creative blogging world to a wider audience via Maxabella loves... So join me next Thursday for our first installment.

Aaaand... to whet your appetite, here are five links to five brilliantly easy to follow tutorials:

1. Sweet little fabric flowers to brighten up a gift from How About Orange

2. Magical tissue pom poms from Imperfectly Beautiful

3. Don't sew a No-Sew Tutu from Design Mom

4. Hang a Dancing Hedgehog cut-paper garland (how can you resist!?) at Alyoops

5. Make a pinwheel or two at Yellow Songbird

Maybe we can, maybe we can't. But it sure is fun to find out!

Do you enjoy making things?

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PS - just in  case my 'Pay It Forward' five are wondering where I am... fear not. I will be making your 'something' and sending it to you by the end of the month. I'll email you for an addy.

[Image via weheartit, let me know if it's yours!]

Calling all wearers of Clever Crafty Clogs

You know how I admire you. You know how you inspire me. You know how much I want to find out more, more, more.

So, if you have some type of art or craft or creative gig going on (via a Blog, a Shop, a Market, a Nything) and you would like me to interview you via email for Maxabella loves... let me know!  Leave a comment below or email me via maxabella@gmail.com
The interviews will be short, sweet and packed with meaning (ie, nothing like myself).

Can't wait to hear from you! x

Papercrafting is tops

As much as I love making decoratey things, after a while the repetition of making lots and lots of the same thing really starts to grate. Like the 150 cake-toppers I made for the upcoming Kindy Welcome Lunch. I could never be an industry.

Perhaps part of my hohummedness (newly minted adjective there!) is the fact that while I do have a child in Year One and am therefore rightfully welcoming the new Kinder parents to school life  (as is our school's tradition), I am also a Kinder Mum myself so I am technically going to all this trouble to welcome myself.

The things we do.

Do you get involved in this sort of stuff at the school? Do you enjoy it or do you do it because you feel obligated? Would you make 150 kite-themed cake toppers just for fun?

Joining in with the inspirational Kootoyoo's My Creative Space today... one of my favourite things to do in the whole blogiverse. Thanks Kirsty.

A change of plan?

I wonder... I wonder if it would be okay with everyone if instead of using random.org to generate a winner for the Gorgeous Giveaway, we just very unrandomly choose Jane at My Pear Tree House.  Jane is a long-time follower of Maxabella loves... and a fun, generous supporter of many of our blogs. And, oh my, she's going through a really, really tough time right now. 

Please let me know via comment if you are okay to forfeit your entry and send all the prizes to Jane. If I get a enough comments saying 'yes' then that is what we will do. We'll send her a care package full of all these lovely handmade presents from all of us in the blogging community. 

Thank you Posie Patchwork, Scissors Paper Rock, Mira Narnie, Ivy Designs and Loved for being open to this idea.

Please let us know.

x

A Lusciously Lush, Fabulously Fab GORGEOUS GIVEAWAY!

I've been blogging since April this year and it's been such a pleasure. Just a delight, you know? I feel like it's given me an outlet to be creative, to be thoughtful, to be a part of something special. Blogging may be 'big wide world' stuff, but to me Maxabella loves... just feels like a warm-hearted little village. A little village that has welcomed over 500 neighbours. Five hundred! I think that's a milestone worthy of a big celebration!

Lucky for me (and even luckier for you), five of our Maxabella lovelies... are wearers of those smart, shiny crafty-clogs and they just happen to be as generous as they are talented. And that's really, really, really OMFG talented.

Just look at what Brenda, Wynona, Mel, Jennie and Claire are offering to one lucky Maxabella loves... follower. Be sure to check out both the blog and the store for each of these special gals. Their work is beautiful and so are they.

♥

Mira Narnie

Oh so handy Key Chain.  Made with natural webbing, gorgeous linen blend leaf printed cotton fabric and secured to metal hardware. Simply attach your keys and slip over your wrist.  You hands will be free and keys always remain handy!  RRP $10.

Custom-Made Maxabella loves Ornamental Bird.  Made with linen blend fabric, complete with printed twill tape, crochet wing and cord and beaded detail! RRP $Priceless!

Thank you Brenda! ESPECIALLY for the Maxabella loves... customisation. How cute is that! And the key chain is so VERY clever - "how did I ever live without that?"

♥

Scissors Paper Rock

An inspirational and grounding 'Life is Beautiful'. Print is 30cm x 40cm, printed on a silk finished paper. It comes unframed and the winner can select the colour of the print. RRP $22

And... a 'Live Laugh Love' 5 x 7 (inches) print, perfect for a standard photo frame. Printed on a silk finished paper. It comes unframed and the winner can select the colour of the print. RRP $10

AND a packet of sweet little Lunch Box Notes. As a child, Claire's Mum would leave little notes of love and encouragement in her lunchbox to brighten her day. Now you can do the same! RRP $5.

Thank you so much, Claire! I love your inspiring prints and the lunch box notes are just such a sweet touch.

♥

Loved

Delicate crocheted necklace, lovingly handmade using a soft charcoal cotton.

Worn draped around the neck, as you would a scarf, with shell buttons adding weight to hang elegantly down your front.  The perfect summertime accessory. RRP $22.

Thank you Mel! I am the proud owner of this very piece, so I know how versatile and special it is. Bring on the compliments!

♥

Posie Patchwork

A whole pack of deliciousness!


Handmade Living, autographed by Tania, Julie & Tina (editor, founder and illustrator respectively)
Tasmanian Oak knitting needles with polka dots
Sweet gelato-coloured floral hair slides
Pretty fabric Christmas decoration
Adorable Humpty Dumpty coin purse
Vintage learn to sew card set
Little brooches and badges.  
RRP Over $100!

Thank you so much Jennie! I am so disappointed that I can't be in it to win this bag of goodies myself.

Look out for Posie Patchwork at a handmade market near you or pop by her online store. She is the Queen of Special.

♥

Ivy Designs

'Little Red' 40cm x 40cm, 100% cotton designer fabric, Original Illustration by Ivy Designs, framed with Japanese cotton fabric with deers. RRP $40

Thank you Wynona! As readers of this blog will know, I adore your pieces to pieces (sorry about that!)

♥

See, I told you it's a Gorgeous Giveaway!

One lucky duck will win the lot! All you have to do is be a follower of Maxabella loves... and leave a comment on this post. 

Tell me: Who is in your 'village'? Who do you rely on to get through your days?

One 'village' comment only please. You can earn extra entries if you spread the word by:

♥ putting my giveaway button in your sidebar (it's over there in my sidebar if you want to grab it); 

♥ or write a post with a link back to this giveaway post; 

♥ or write a post with a link through to one or all of these five lovely crafty blogs; 

♥ or link to this post on facebook; 

♥ or send out a tweety tweet

... or you can do all five! 

Remember to leave a comment below with a link for each extra entry. 

Giveaway is open until midnight 20 December (Sydney time... whatever that is in international time lingo). I'll post the winner (drawn using random.org) on Tuesday, 21 December. Best of luck, my lovelies! 

Oh, and thank you so much  for being a part of my village.

[Giveaway button image is from Upon a Fold - stationery lust!]

PS - if you don't have a blog that links back to your name, don't forget to leave an email addy!

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EDITED 20/12/2010

In a show of community spirit, we asked entrants to the Gorgeous Giveway if they would be willing to give up their entries to allow us to send all the prizes to Jane from My Pear Tree House. And they collectively shouted YES.

We will be sending all of the prizes to Jane in the next week or so.

Thank you everyone for your generosity. Please leave any comments concerning this giveaway at this post here.

That every kid in the class thing

Maxi Taxi came home from school the other day munching on a gingerbread man and holding a crumpled card in his hand. "Merry Christmas, Max. Love Elliot".

Oh no, I thought. They're doing that 'every kid in the class' thing. I dreaded that thing. Now here it is and it's only Kindergarten.

Elliot's mum has twins Maxi's age and an older boy. She's managed to do the every-kid-in-the-class Christmas thing with three classes to cater for. Three.

Of course, always one to rise to a challenge, I dug out some old seed packets, a heart hole punch and a weird little banner punch that I bought long ago and never remembered why. Last year's batch of received Chrissy cards were duly punched through to make some snazzy decorations. Then I borrowed Paola Zakimi's little birdie gift tags which were a freebie from the awesome magazine Gifted. I had already used her image to make my Christmas cards (all sixty seven of them posted in the red box at the end of our street today... phew!).  I popped a whizz fizz into each seed packet, punched a few holes, strung on the gift tag and viola! I know I'm supposed to painstakingly cut out each swing tag but, you know, these kids are six years old. Surely, the details are less important when you're six? Surely!

I read Life in a Pink Fibro's Chrissy card post last week and it went nuts. What is it about the giving and receiving of Christmas cards that sends us into a frenzy? 

* I vow that next year I am going to learn my way around a camera!!

♥ Loving Christmas spirit

The tree is up and sparkling. The front door is festooned with a new wreath. The Eiffel tower is glowing with fairy lights... it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

I made the wreath in about 10 minutes for about $10 yesterday. A half-price plain wreath from our friends at Lincraft, a bunch of ribbons cut up and tied on each branch. A little birdy ornament from Morgan and Finch strung up in the middle. Easy peasy and I just love it.

I add something Christmassy each year. My favourite is my fat garland-toting boy angel with his nose permanently toffed. He just seems to be saying "meh, this Christmas gig, I can take it or leave it".

See, the Eiffel tower really is strung up with fairy lights!


Are you ready? Have you done your shopping? Can you feel December sliding away like a sled on snow?

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Playing along with Lou today too...

Craft is the new Green?

You know how I'm a little bit crafty? Well, I'm wriggling with envy over some of the fabulously unique blogs out there. And what is just so particularly special is how generous these wonderful people are with their time and experience (have you noticed how many generous souls there are here online? It's heartwarming, isn't it?). There are tutorials galore, patterns, tips and a patient friend to guide you. Even if you're not so crafty yourself, the celebration of all that is aesthetically pleasing will be worth the visit alone.

Warning, you'll die a little inside, but check out these for starters:

Thomson Family Life
Draw! Pilgram
The Lark Blog
maya*made
Handmade Love
Grand Revival Designs
Kootoyoo
Noodlehead
Mira Narnie

Oh, how I'm loving these clever clogs. And just a little bit loathing, you know? I wish I was half as clever. Actually, I think envy is kraft, not green*.


* Must I go on with these terrible puns?!



[Image by the fabulously crafty group at 3OldHens]

The July Chronicles: What's on your fridge?

The June Chronicles was a spectacular success with a whole entry received.

LJ at With My Own Two Hands was kind enough to complete the linky but she counts as only 1/2 an entry as she did not in actual fact do any sort of post on the happenings on her fridge. 

And sadly, as I am related to MultipleMum at And then there were four, her beautifully written, dare we say unputdownable fridge chronicle can really only counts as 1/2 an entry as well. 

So, an entry, all totalled.

But, proof of how hard it is to keep a brilliant idea down, I'm dusting myself off, picking myself up and merrily presenting... 

The July Chronicles

Here is the birthday invitation to Cappers' best (possibly only) friend in the world's birthday party later this month. It is true that she is not a child inundated with party invites. Why, just last week one of the Preschool Mum Brigade bemoaned the fact that her little girl had 27 parties to go to all in one morning.  There is not a lot of bemoaning going on around here. Needless to say, we await the big event with pride.

Here is a photo of a photo of The Badoo at daycare with her 'gloves' on. Ever since this picture hit the fridge, she's insisted on wearing a pair of latex gloves that were, you know, just lying around. I have tried to tell her that the photo is of her very self, not in gloves but finger painting. But she's two and she wants the gloves.

You will notice that little Kingston, our 27 year old sponsor child from Malawi (for details, see The June Chronicles) has been covered up by a "Nuture your Friendships" card. This was accidental, but entirely symbollic. When, oh when, will we ever write back to the letter he sent us in 2004?

Here is a picture Maxi-Taxi drew for his mum of "siamese fighting fish and a scuba diver with a big knife." You will notice that the scuba diver has a speech bubble saying "I luv you mum". Maxi-Taxi produced this all on his own and every time I see it on the fridge I get a little tear. I don't know if this is because I am so proud of my boy or whether I am gripped by fear due to the love and the knife being in the same artwork. Either way, he's mine.

You can't see this on the larger picture above as it's lower than the camera captured, but Cappers stuck together a fairy for the fridge and as she managed the sticky tape all on her own, I thought it was worthy of a mention.

That's my fridge for July... so join the linky and share what's on yours. Linky open until the end of the month. Let's double last month's figures, people!

Things I learnt this week including how to make a pinwheel

The weather has been grey this week and my mind has gone grey with it (fortunately my hair has not followed suit). Along with the fabulous weather that broke through on Wednesday, here are a few bright sparks from the week that was.

1. Guinea pigs do not like zucchini. At least, the GPs who are currently holidaying with us won't touch the stuff.

2. A pregnant guinea pig looks exactly the same as an unpregnant one. We know this because we started the week babysitting 2 guinea pigs and now we are babysitting 3 guinea pigs.

3. Even a dedicated, super-experienced chocolate devourer like myself found it tough to get through an entire Bill Granger self-saucing chocolate pudding (but don't worry, I punched through to a brilliant ramekin-licking finish). I'll post the recipe on Easy Sunday so you can give it a go yourself... dare you.

4. The brilliant Old Spice - The Man Your Man Could Smell like commercial was shot in one take. Plus that's a CGI fake hand with the Old Spice rising up out of it like a Phoenix... Of course it is! Even the man my man could smell like couldn't produce a can of Old Spice out of thin air. Or could he?

5.  My new gardener (I just love saying that!), tells me that the reason most people don't garden is really because they don't like getting their clothes dirty. He reckons if you just had specific gardening clothes to change into, getting into the garden would be a breeze (I'm sure there was no pun intended). He's right, don't you think? To motivate yourself in all things, you just need the right stuff.

6.  Draw! Pilgrim taught me how to make a pinwheel, which I think is essential knowledge for any mother of youngsters.

7. If you have bed wetters and you're not acquainted with Brolly Sheets, let me introduce you to your new best friend. Now, technically this isn't something I learned this week as we've been using Brolly Sheets for over a year. BUT, at 3am on Monday this week when the pull-up dam was busted, I learned just how much they truly mean to me.

8. Epstein-Barr virus is the virus responsible for glandular fever, but it’s not the actual virus that causes the symptoms of glandular fever, it’s how the immune system responds that makes people sick. If people are exposed to EBV early in life, their immune system doesn't react. It's those of us (I had GF in 1993-1994) who are exposed later in life that suffer. And you can get reactivations, too.

9. We are all creative beings, but convention often strips us of our ability to think, to feel, to be our true self. So often our instinct is to 'correct' our children, when really we should nurture our instinct to 'respect'. Allow your children the freedom to express themselves in the way that feels right to them. If the sky is green in their world and the grass is blue, then that's a rather marvellous world, don't you think?

10. The chicken is the closest living relative of the Tyrannosaurus-Rex. Really.

Did you learn anything new this week?

[Image]

Loving Craft Schmaft's Owl Mobile

Anything that hangs from the ceiling or walls is fab in my books. And this owl mobile from Craft Schamft is on my wish list. The love heart beaks are particularly sweet. Along with my garland fetish, I'm also a little bit in love with birds. They have been flying into my home for some time now (covertly lest my sisters mock me for ornament collecting). I think I'm just going to have to let these little owls join their birdy friends...

Things I learnt this week including how to ruffle up a skirt

This week I did a four-hour conflict management course at work (these things are entirely necessary when you work for a large corporate).  I started the course thinking that I shied away from conflict, retreating due to my pathological need to please and be liked. That plus my enbarrassing tendency to bawl my eyes out when someone raises their voice at me. But, by the end of the course I realised that I experience "conflict" on an almost daily basis, but I manage it so well that it doesn't feel like conflict. Snaps for me. Here's what else I learnt this week...

1. It is indeed possible to instinctively dislike a child and want to be a little bit mean to them. You will feel bad about yourself, but not as bad as you feel about said child.

2. Sometimes having a night out on a "school night" is the best thing for you even though it's the last thing you feel like doing.

3. There's a tutorial to step you through the lovely summer ruffles skirt pictured here over at Grand Revival Designs.  It's such a detailed tutorial that I actually think I can manage. Now, if I could just figure out how to bring my sewing machine back to life (too many Monster Softies, it seems)...

4. I can indeed limp through the day without diet coke.

5. It's claimed that the Brazilian wax was named for a letter written by Pedro Álvares Cabral on seeing a native Brazilian tribe during his voyage to Brazil in 1500 AD. He said "their private parts were so exposed, so healthy and so hairless, that looking upon them we felt no shame." I am curious as to his knowledge of the 'health' of the 'exposed' private parts he 'looked upon'... Regardless, Brazilian waxes are still waaaay too painful, unnecessary and, gasp, itchy for this gal to make them a regular thing.

6. Orchids are notoriously difficult to grow. I didn't know this because there are three stunning examples of orchids overgrowing in pots in my garden and I've never done a thing to them in almost 3 years.

7. There are over 50,000 white paints and choosing the wrong one could instantly ruin the vibe of your entire home, if not your life. Do you want a neutral, blue, yellow or pink white? Warm or cool? Gloss or semi? Blah or blah? It all makes me want to skip the white, fandango.

8. Etaoin Shrdlu, pronounced "eh-tay-oh-in shird-loo" is believed to be the twelve most common letters in English, in order of most frequently used to least frequently used. I'm not sure why we need to know this.

9. If your child is scared before sleep or during the night, it's comforting for them to know that you'll be popping in to "check" on them. But rather than tell them "Don't worry, I'll come and check on you in five minutes" (instantly setting the spark of "you said there was nothing to worry about so why do you need to check to make sure I'm okay?" in their little heads) tell them "I'll come in every now and then just to remind you that there's nothing to worry about." This has worked really well with the Tsunamis.

10. In all things, to thine own self be true.

What did you learn this week?

Pretty patterns all in a row

I'm loving these gorgeous fabrics from funky fabrix. I would buy up the lot if I had a.) the money or b.) the slightest idea what to do with them. If only my sewing extended beyond straight lines. I would make softies and cute little skirts for Cappers and The Badoo and cushion covers and maybe an apron or two.

I can feel a sewing course coming on...

Wet Autumn lives

I used to loooove wet autumn days. You'd get cosy by the fire, a good book resting in your lap as you doze to the rattle of rain on the roof. Outside everything looks sparkly and misty and nice.

Now, things are just wet. And muddy. And there you are, stuck in the house with three cabin-crazed children while the rain bleats loudly down on the roof such that the kids have to scream even more than usual and now they have an excuse.

I noticed last year that once the magnolia hit late autumn, it looked bare and forelorn. No light green leaves, no beautiful blooms.

I thought I'd make it some.

 

The tree seems happier. And, of course, it likes the rain.

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I rewound this post at the Fibro on 12.2.2011

Monster madness

The Ammmmazing Mmmmmonster party was a huge success.

We played 'chase the monster tail'...

We ate monster food...

 

We made monster masks...

We wrapped ourselves up like mummies and awarded medals to the best mummy-wrapping team...

And we went on a monster treasure hunt to find the monster softies...

It was a fantastic day.