New range...

I've been a busy little squirrel working away on a new range being introduced to Olive Grove.

Lost in Melbourne...run by Anna, Roze and I to be released real soon....

Follow us on Facebook for all the goss.

Jay x

Got me some bunting...Blogtoberfest day 21.

Boy oh boy, I've been hanging out to get me a bunting necklace ever since I saw them on Betty Jo's blog.

So today I made the trip to her new shop for a sticky beak and to grab one of my own.

Gleaners is the exciting new store opened by Liz of Betty Jo fame
and that girl....I tells yah, she's got taste.

Beautiful range of recycled, up cycled, retro and vintage delights,
great displays and of course the friendliest service this side of town.

Putty tat likes my necklace too...

Silly me I had walked past the lane way twice this week not realising it was so close to my work. So if you know Brunswick, or not...it's just around the corner from Spotlight and it's seconds away from the Sydney rd tram. Very easy to get to.

You could make a day of it and come see me at Olive Grove, pop in for some op shopping at Savers, see Liz at Gleaners then dine at any one of the awesome cafes or yummy Turkish restaurants on Sydney rd.

Jay xx

Tweet...Blogtoberfest day 11.

Tweet of the bird, not the social networking thingo.

Lovin' the birdies on my new skirt.

The latest from Polly Pratt designs down at Olive Grove.

I fell in love with the fabric the minute it walked in the door,
and it totally fits in with my not buying anything black.
I am wearing it with black...

But you wait till I get my new tights from 'We love colors'.

image via: we love colors
Plus sizes in an awesome range of prints and colors.

It will be a color explosion.
Thanks for the tip off on that one too Michelle.
Catch yah tomorrow.

Jay xx

Objet D'art... Blogtoberfest day 10

The newest addition to my jewellery box, is this fabbo set of babushka earrings

made by the talented Sue over at Divajools.

I have followed her blog for a while now, drooling over her absolutely amazing silversmith skills and her awesome ability to take tankards, spoons, tins and tray and turn them into delights to behold.

Objet d'art at it's finest.

Boy do I feel special owning a pair.

Jay xx

Wasn't me ... Blogtoberfest day 9.

Today's agenda is a horrid one, ti's my least favorite thing to do...

But how can I craft in a room where every table top is covered,

and how shall we get ready for school tomorrow,
in a room that looks like a bomb has hit it.

Surely wasn't me that did it.

Does that mean I don't have to clean it!

Matter of fact I most definitely gave up on the vicious cycle of attempting to clean whilst holidays were on, round about a week and a half ago!

So today will have to be a day of cleaning and getting ready for school tomorrow, shop girl on Monday, then maybe...just maybe, crafty transmissions will resume on Tuesday.

Hallelujah

Kissing cousins...Blogtoberfest day 8.

Birthday cakes and family...

Mean we get a chance to hang out with the littlest cuz..

Although, blink and you'll miss her.
She sure gives my littlest a run for his money in the speedy stakes.

But once caught, it's the bestest cuggles ever.

Here's looking at you kiddo......

Looking with fresh eyes, in my first time ever reading glasses.....

Does it mean I'm getting old....

More mature looking perhaps.....

NAH!


Coming from a family of 8 who all wear glasses, I was bound to need some eventually.

Now I just have to get used to the fact that when i glance up from the computer every thing is fuzzy. Have to figure out just the right resting place so I can peer over the top to see both distances clearly and..... boy oh boy, am I looking more and more like my mother when I do that....


xoxo

Happy fathers day........

How the sentiment of fathers day has changed over the years....

From the time when us 6 kids banged and clashed our way through the preparation of a secret breakfast in bed. Co-coordinating such fine dining as cornflakes and milk, a side of Vegemite toast, with a glass of orange juice to wash it all down.

Funny how mum could do it every day of the year for the lot of us, but this one day when there was a collective effort of 6 working for one, it was the biggest achievement. Dad had too eat the whole lot while we watched, as proof he liked the fruits of our labor. Then followed a trail of lavender hankie pouches or socks with initials bought at the school fair, handmade clay mugs and sculptures from art class. Most definitely the sort of presents that could only be loved by your dad.

As I got older, fathers day became an afternoon lunch thing, squeezed into a busy social calender, then older again, it brought about a whole new bunch of handmade splendour from grandchildren and special dinners where you talked about the old days and got the goss on what your siblings were up to.

I miss the old days.

My dad passed away in 2005. My first fathers day without him was really hard. We made the trip over to the cemetery to lay some flowers and say hi and I was amazed, and saddened all at once by the hundreds of other families there too.

It's a strange thing that we feel so alone in our grief as though we are the only ones hurting for love lost. Seeing all those people reminded me that I'm not the only person that sheds a tear for a fathers who's gone.

I'm one of many who shares a touch of sadness on fathers day, but also celebrates the new father in my life. The father to my children. Through him, we get to revisit the whispers in the kitchen as we prepare pancakes and enjoy a whole new generation of clay pinch pots for years to come.

Some things change.....some stay the same.Happy fathers day dad.

Adelaide's oppie offerings.....

We headed off to Adelaide over the weekend for a family shindig and managed to squeeze in some fabbo op shopping along the way.

The day started off frosty and foggy in the wee hours of the morning, as we filled the car with blankies, munchies and music to keep us going. 4 hours later, we were hot, bored and covered in crumbs. These road trips always start out to be such a good idea!

We bypassed our usual breakfast stop in Ballarat and continued on to our lunch pit stop at Horsham. This turned out to be a fabulous choice for our lunchtime break as we had time to shop a while at the book fair conveniently open, just as were passing through.

I couldn't see prices, so I just gathered up a fine lookin' collection and hoped for the best. Alas...my pile was getting bigger than me, so I thought I better ask prices, so I could work to a budget.
Are you ready for it.................. 50 cents each...........................
I was soooo excited. Definitely made this road trip so much better lookin'.

I ended up with heaps of vintage little golden books, some sci-fi fiction for Ty, some kids chapter books for Kierah, the odd 50's craft, sewing and gardening books and the best of all a complete set of 18 golden hands encyclopedias from the 70's.
I actually have a set I scored in Brisbane when were living up there, which my sister made me promise to leave to her in my will. So when I saw these at such an affordable price, I just had to grab them for her.

So now that I had taken up the last of the leg room in the little car with all my books, we grabbed some Macca's, had a run at the park, then continued on.

By about 6, we arrived at Dot's. (Ty's nan) Greeted with the worlds best sausages rolls and potato and leek soup. Yum!
Finn thought dot's place was the best Museum he's ever been to.
Dot's one of those oh so huggable nannas that has a house full of trinkets spanning the generations of all whom lived there.

From the pressed out foil wrappers of 40's lollies and the numerous gift cards kept from every birthday, mothers day and anniversary over the last 50 odd years to the little statuettes of big eyed cats, floral swans, doting deer, and cutesy rabbits. There is always so much to look at and such a wonderful sense of history and home.

Saturday we op shopped in Mt barker, Hahndorf and Bridge water. Lots of goodies to share.
Firstly some knitted blankies, gifts for all the babies on the way.

Then some 1970's new idea magazines....

and the best find was this drawer out of a micro biologist lab. There was a few there, but I really liked this one with fossils written on the front. I plan to use it for my little vintage notebook display at the next market, if I get it cleaned up on time.

The day finished with the family shindig', a whirlwind event of chit chat, balloons, too much food in one sitting.....

and an awfully long rendition of the chicken dance. Intended to embarrass my brother in law, but somehow I got sucked in too!