Christmas is coming, the stockings are getting done :)

Well, the Christmas stocking group is working hard and creating BEAUTIFUL stockings!! Its very exciting seeing all the wonderful new ideas, beautiful fabrics and getting to know each other over a bit of sewing and usually something yummy for supper. I promise next week I will take some photos and post them. We usually meet on Monday nights but the very dedicated are here as often as they can. 

Here is a snap of the stockings I am making for my cousins boys... its a big surprise and I know they don't follow my blog so the secret is safe for now.  One of my friends making stockings wanted to put a photo of her boys on their stockings and I recalled seeing something like that over at One Crafty Mumma.

So, liking that concept, I took a photo of each of them, my friend Corina, the photographer, photoshopped the fence out from behind them and then they just took a life of their own!!  The fronts are finished and now they just need a back, some batting and an inner, a bit of cord to finish them and Viola! Two happy little boys :)

I am also flat out trying to organise my darling daughters 4th birthday party which is on Sunday. The theme is a carnival and there is lots of preparation. I will post photos on monday (as long as I remember to take them!!!)

Today my beautiful friends have been here all day helping with preparations - lucky arent i!!!!

 

Mothers intuition

Today has been an emotional day.  My eldest daughter is struggling at school and I have been trying to get some answers for the past 18 months. Her new teacher is wonderful and listened to my concerns and refered us to a Behavioural optometrist. 

Today she had her appointment and I am so relieved to get some answers.  She can see fine but has some problem with focusing her eyes together, making it tiring and hard to do her reading and writing. Of course this is exhausting for her and we bear the brunt of her frustration at home.

Once she has her new supercool and groovy glasses they will be able to do the rest of the testing for Visual processing disorders.

So Im very relieved and optimistic about her future of learning.

Here is the sweet girl.. I'll pop a picture on next week too when she gets her new glasses (which sadly they dont make in adult sizes and Mum, its not cool for you to have the same glasses.. well pardon me!)

The countdown...

In two weeks today, my three children and I will be jumping on a plane and going back to New Zealand for 6 weeks. We plan to catch up with family and friends, lots and lots of relaxing and lots of playing at the beach near my parents place. Of course that means all my crafting for christmas needs to be done by then!!

AND I have my little ones 4th birthday this weekend so a nice easy party... NOT!! Of course I go all out for parties and this is no exception. She's having a Carnival, so its hive of activity here. I'll post some pics next week of the party. I think I had children so I could make birthday cakes - prior to having my own, I made cakes for my nieces :)

In the meantime.. here's a few pictures of the kids cakes from earlier in the year...

Sonic had a pirate party and I really enjoyed creating the big ship and treasure chest.

 

Little Miss Sunshine absolutely loves Kombi vans, it was the obvious choice but oh so difficult!!! I wasnt very pleased with it but she was happy so thats all that matters.

Its stockings night tonight and they are looking soooo good!!! What a crafty bunch of girls. I will post some photos before I go away.. including some of my ones for this year. I cant believe I have nearly finished one for me!!! Yippeee!! Santa might bring me some goodies too!

Take care

A dry spell

Well this week has been crazy and I haven't made much and I am still having camera problems!!!

So in this post I have decided to include a photo of my hubby's birthday cake. My 8 year old decorated it. My husband is into V8 supercars so it had to have a Ford on it!!! He is turning 40 on Christmas Day so we decided to have his party a bit early this past weekend.  We had a great time and I probably drank a bit much Sangria (oops).

Bianca Jae Makes Things is having a giveaway. She makes gorgeous wraps for pencils and pads - too cute!! Head over and check it out.

Cupcake addict

Hello, my name is Leonie and I am addicted to making cupcakes.

Yes, its true, I have an addiction to making cupcakes, probably more specifically, icing them.  I dont really like eating them but LOVE creating them :)

Here's some I made for the stocking girls last week

and some I made for a friend and her son on their combined birthdays(she is an AMAZING cake decorator so cupcakes it had to be!)

I also love cupcake papers and ordered some online the other day.. a special little 4 year olds birthday party is coming up and I had to have the right cupcake papers, right? (oops cant put the photo on as camera is playing up).

Family photos

A couple of weekends ago a very good friend took some family photos for us..  we were very excited to see them last night :)

 

Thats all for today... :)

 

A weekend at home...

We've had a nice weekend at home.  My littlest is not well, 8 days of high temps (around 40C at times) three visits to the doctor, 2 ear infections, 2 different antibiotics, daytime sleeps, nighttimes screaming ... just not my little darling. She's so sad...I hope tomorrow she can turn a corner.

So a weekend at home was in order.  I spent yesterday doing some sewing, another koru apron, a special order for a friend, a bit more on my stockings, 2 pillowcase nighties for my eldest.

 

Last night we made homemade pizza (a common saturday night meal here) but instead of cooking it in the oven we popped it on the bbq - YUM!!!

I found that it worked best to cook one side of the dough on the grated part and then we flipped it over, the kids popped on their topping and we then put it back on the bbq with the hood closed. It was just too yummy!!

Today I sorted out my craft room.  My scrapbooking table is now organised so I might do some :) I have sorted all my ribbon's and ric rac  etc and put them in labelled jars... nice...and the sewing desk is also getting a going over too! I feel so much better when everything is easy to find.

This afternoon I took the eldest two for a quick visit to my cousin and her little baby - so sweet but still in hospital with jaundice.

I am starting to get a bit worried about how much there is to do before we go to NZ for Christmas and Ive got my husbands 40th and my youngest 4 th birthday before then !!! aaaRRGGHHH. Lots of planning to do.

A new little baby

Yesterday my cousin had a little baby girl. She is her fourth baby, although her others are 9, 14 and 17 years old. Shes only a wee dot, 5 lb 12 oz.

I am off to visit her tonight with a few little goodies. I am making her a quilt of which I have finished the top but havent got any further, so lets hope she gets it soon :)

(excuse the pics, I desperately need a decent camera and also left it too late in the afternoon to take the photos)

I made her a few little bibs...

A tag cube... with a butterfly on as her bedroom is pale pink and white with butterflies..

 

nd I picked up this gorgeous little onesie tutu from Target!! How cute is that!

 

I also was very excited to go shopping ALONE last night. I had a great time buying stuff for me ! doenst happen very often so I got a few bits a pieces I have had my eye on.. might try to post them tomorrow. :) have a nice weekend.

Toast and craft don't mix

This morning I raced out of bed at 6am to quickly whip up an apron as a gift for a little boy who's party we were going to at 10am.. yes, ever the procrasinator.

I decided to make him a robot one but spent a couple of hours last night surfing the net for some inspiration.  THis is what I came up with, thanks to a lot of inspiration from Miss Smith at home. I just love the little panels she has on her robots - too cute.

So this is what I came up with



 

I was really pleased with the result and it was fun to make.

I have however decided eating toast while trying to sew is not cool!! My toast (expensive gluten free too!) folded in two, slipped out of my hand and landed, peanut butter side down, in my trims!! lovely...

Anyway, today my youngest has  spiked a 40C temperature and is feeling quite miserable. Im waiting for my hubby to get home so we can visit the doctor. I just dont feel in the mood to take 3 grumpy children to a doctors waiting room.

I am also wondering how to get traffic to my blog  - will start asking other bloggers. If you are visiting please say hi and let others know to stop by - thanks :)

A cheerleader, A cat, a vampire, a mummy and a ghost

Last night we went to a friends for the most amazing Halloween party. It was a fantastic afternoon/evening loved equally by the children and the adults!

Bubba was a cat but she has already rubbed her nose off and taken off her ears in this picture!Sonic had a cape I made him which I lined with red but he kept turning it in the other way!! My children have minds of their own :)

Of course I am a procrastinator so was up until midnight Friday night sewing costumes and making food right up until we left the house!  Of course I always plan before hand but still end up leaving everything till the last minute. I remember being like this at University too, so maybe I just need to accept it is who I am.

This morning we got up very early to go to Shorncliffe ( a beautiful spot north of brisbane) for family photos.  A friend of ours is starting a photography business and photographed our children earlier this year and the photos were fabulous, so we are looking forward to seeing today's ones.

 

Beautiful Shorncliffe Pier... we come down here all the time, so beautiful, has huge park, beach and bbqs and is only about 20 minutes away ... perfect :)