Feeling the Love!

Todays achievement was getting the Princess her new school uniform and shoes, organising a play date for this afternoon.

While her and her little friend played, I created a little banner (or six!) for Valentines Day using the pretty papers and ribbon picture in my last post - oh and Heather from Pretty Petals, German Glass Glitter! (Banners for sale here)

One World - One Heart blog giveaway has over 700 participants! Now that's love!!!!

Take Care - Bye for Now
Rachaelxo

Bits and Bobs!!

It doesn't take much to get me excited these days, a little trip to Spotlight Craft Shop for some supplies. Can you see a colour theme going on here!! I am so excited because I bought Mod Podge for the very first time!!! You might not believe this but I had never heard of it until I started blogging. Oh Mod Podge where have you been all my crafting life???


I have switched my first colour love of pink back to red. Red is just darker pink anyway! I am just loving having 'pops' of colour around the house. The dresser is the dining area is one of my favourite spots at the moment. Its all about the colour!!!


I looked after my friend Nancy's girls on Sunday afternoon while she prepared a feast for their Chinese New Year's Eve. My child minding turned into another little 'learn to sew school'!! Here are the girls with the lavender hearts they stitched together using fun felt, embroidery floss and a button!


Yesterday I spent the day preparing for my new Korean home stay son and loading items to sell on Trade Me and the Rose Room website.

Today the Princess has a little friend over to play, they are downstairs with the Barbies. We raced around like mad things this morning posting parcels and buying a new school bag and school stationary. The Princess is going to a different school this year. We have been lucky enough to get her into a lovely and hard to get into Christian School. It is much smaller than where she was and is more family orientated.

For the rest of the day I am going to continue with my stock updates and make a few more fabric flower pins before I move on the next project.

Check out the One World - One Heart international blog giveaway event if you haven't already. There are 600+ participants all with fabulous giveaways. Its incredible!

If you want to enter my giveaway click and comment this post right here! I have never had so many comments in all of my blogging life!!!

Take care and bye for now

Rachaelxo

Petal Love

Its petal love around here at the moment.

I have a miniature rose in my garden that originally was from my shop, I would put it in the doorway each morning when I opened. Anyway, it never did very well, and then I almost killed it over winter by leaving it water logged in its pot!

Well, look at it now! Blooming prolifically. I have it in vases everywhere and the bush itself is still laden!


Little bud vases.

The Princess and I went to the garden centre yesterday, I bought lettuce, she bought Petunia's! I planted them, I water them . . . petal love, mother love!


Amongst all these 'real' blooms I have been creating fabric ones. I found this tutorial sometime ago here and so in my typical fashion I fixate on one thing and start churning them out! But they are so fun to make!


I have three on offer as a giveaway as part of the One World - One Heart international giveaway. Go and have a look, amazing giveaways on offer and gob smacking talent!

If you would like to sign up for my giveaway you can do so by leaving a comment on my One World-One Heart post right here.

Have fun!

Bye for now
Rachaelxo

Petal Love

Its petal love around here at the moment.

I have a miniature rose in my garden that originally was from my shop, I would put it in the doorway each morning when I opened. Anyway, it never did very well, and then I almost killed it over winter by leaving it water logged in its pot!

Well, look at it now! Blooming prolifically. I have it in vases everywhere and the bush itself is still laden!


Little bud vases.

The Princess and I went to the garden centre yesterday, I bought lettuce, she bought Petunia's! I planted them, I water them . . . petal love, mother love!


Amongst all these 'real' blooms I have been creating fabric ones. I found this tutorial sometime ago here and so in my typical fashion I fixate on one thing and start churning them out! But they are so fun to make!


I have three on offer as a giveaway as part of the One World - One Heart international giveaway. Go and have a look, amazing giveaways on offer and gob smacking talent!

If you would like to sign up for my giveaway you can do so by leaving a comment on my One World-One Heart post right here.

Have fun!

Bye for now
Rachaelxo

One World - One Heart Giveaway

One World-One Heart has come around again for the third year running. It is hosted by Lisa"oceandreamer" Swifka and is a world wide giveaway with a chance to meet and visit blogs from all over the world.

This year I am so proud and happy to be a participant of this wonderful free-spirited international blogging event.

In honour of it I am giving away three of my hand made ruffled flowered brooches. These are made from fabric remnants and are so cute pinned to a denim jacket, plain cardigan, dress, tee-shirt, bag, etc etc.

All you have to do is leave a comment on this post to enter my giveaway. The only condition is you must have a blog. One World -One Heart runs from January 19 to February 11.

On Februay 12th I will be randomly drawing three names from the comments left on this post.

Be sure to click on the One World -One Heart logo at the top of this post or on the side bar of my blog to connect to the One World - One Heart blog and travel the gypsy caravan of talented and generous bloggers from all over the world offering fabulous giveaways.

All for the simple purpose of connecting and getting to know each other!!!

#1 Country Patches

#2 Strawberries and Spots

#3 Red Gingham Berries

So nice to meet you - enjoy!

Rachaelxo

Comments have now closed for this draw as it is the 12th February here in New Zealand:)

Little Crafters

The Princess had a Princess friend come and stay for two days. I taught the little girls to 'stitch'. They 'stitched' on and off all yesterday with the felt, embroidery floss and buttons I had given them to play with.


Here is what they made, a little cushion/pillow each for cats, dolls, soft toys, what ever and a little coin purse. I am so impressed, they did most of it by themselves, my job was to untangle thread and straighten the course from time to time!


Clever little crafters!

Bye for now
Rachaelxo

An Award

My good friend Linda from Somewhere in Time gave this award, its great!!!!

I think Linda and I have been bloggy friends since I first started blogging.

Thanks so much Linda, I really appreciate it, love getting awards!

Now here are the rules for this award:

1. Pass it on to 5 fabulous blogs.

2. Include the person that gave it to you and link it back to them, if you can.

3. List 5 of your fabulous addictions.....

Here goes...mine are...
1. Magazines - home decorating and craft

2. Reading - books and magazines

3. Basil Pesto

4. Cold water with lime juice

5. Sushi

I am passing this award onto:

• The Vintage Kitten
• Kerryanne
• Pink Slippers
• Amy
• LiLi
  

Victoria from Vintage Tea thinks she gave me this award - LOL!!!! Except Victoria I cannot find my name on your award list??? Thanks so much for the thought though - LOL!!!!

My cousin Cheryl sent me this Meme, thought I would do it for a bit of fun - feel free to copy and paste if you want to do it.

Here goes . . .

USING ONLY ONE WORD


1. Where is your cell phone? dining room

2. Your significant other? home

3. Your hair? black

4. Your mother? home

5. Your father? deceased

6. Your favorite thing? roses

7. Your dream last night? weird

8. Your favorite drink? water

9. Your dreams/goals? money

10. What Room you are in? hall

11. Your hobby? crafting

12. Your fear? fire

13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? rich

14. Where were you last night? BBQ

15. Something that you aren't? sporty

16. Muffins? savoury

17. wish list item? money

18. Where you grew up? New Zealand

19. last thing you did? children

20. What are you wearing? pants!

21. Your TV? off

22. Your pets? 2

23. Friends? lots

24. Your life? unorganised

25. Your mood? relaxed

26. Missing someone? brother

27. Your car? broken

28. Something you're not wearing? shoes

29. Your favorite store? Borders

32. Your favorite color? Red

33. When is the last time you laughed? Today

34. Last time you cried? Monday

35. Who will do this? ?

36. Who will not do this ? ?

Now just answer:

A) Four places that I go to over and over: Amah and Granddads, Mum's, Supermarket, Post Office

B) Five people who email me regularly: Mum, Babes, Patricia, Fran
C) My favorite place to eat: Out

D) Four places I would like to go right now? Greece, France, England, America

E)Four TV shows I watch all the time: Shortland Street, Desperate Housewives, Dr Phil, Oprah

There you have it, a pile of useless information about me!!!


Bye for now

Rachaelxo

Gifts from Gamma

I thought I would show you what Gamma (Jean), who is Babes Mum, therefore my mother-in-law and the Princess's grandmother (all that detail so that you are clear on who she is!) made the Princess for Christmas.

I can't believe she made it, well I can because she is very clever . . . anyway, its this gorgeous, shabby chic, girly pretty, comforter for the Princess's bed.


The underside is pink gingham, so pretty! Its all I need on her bed at the moment because it is so warm here at night. In the winter I will fold it and have it sitting on the end of the bed.

We all want one!!!


A few posts back I showed you my Christmas presents, well here is a close up of the ornamental shoe Gamma gave me.


Isn't it stunning! The heel and body part of the shoe are ceramic, the toe and embellishments are all fabric, braids and lace. It has sewn a seed, thinking, thinking . . .

We are having a great summer, its hot, hot, hot here right now, just lovely, we have our little pool up and the Princess and I have been having fun playing in it and cooling off.

Our children don't start back at school until early February. I am loving having the Princess home, no getting up early, getting dressed early or making school lunches!!! Bliss or as my best friend Mary Thistle says "Heaven on a Stick".

I am off to bed, a big day tomorrow, stuff to do, places to go, people to see . . . you know how it goes . . .

Take Care, Bye for Now

Rachaelxo

The Blue Dress

I made this dress for my 1 1/2 year old niece Georgia Mary. I took one new white singlet and chopped the bottom off a long dress of mine and dyed both blue, then set to with the sewing machine. I made and stitched the rosettes on while watching Desperate Housewives, it was so riviting I pricked my fingers several times with the needle!!!

No pattern, just a plan conjured up in the middle of a sleepless night and crossed fingers!


It worked, I am so thrilled with how it turned out!!!

Bye for now

Rachaelxo

Goodbye 2008, Hello 2009

Goodbye 2008, you were a hard year, tough physically. mentally and emotionally, lots of highs and lots of lows but I am another year stronger for it!!!

Hello 2009, I love you already!!! I have big plans for this year, big positive plans, life changing, enriching plans. I have goals and resolutions, some big, some small but all exciting!!! Some in progress and some to be started.

I have my new diary to help me on my way and a new notebook (to be covered) which has my goals, resolutions and objectives written in it.

I have some business to take care of, tying up of loose ends which will give me closure on some things, a lot of excess stock and house clutter to off load which will give us a fresh start, a clean slate so to speak.

And lots and lots of crafty, creative ideas running around in my head!!!

Hooray for 2009!

Rachaelxo