Under My Roof

As I sit here gathering my thoughts on Thursday night (you realise I can hardly muster a thought to gather at 7am right? - it's the night before or not at all!) the dishwasher hums in the background and I am thinking about what I am grateful for this week.

This Friday I'm keeping it really simple - there have been good things this week - people who have helped me, people I have helped, laughter and cute things. But today I am grateful for being together under the same roof.

The Atlas got knocked off his bike on the way home and with a thumping headache to boot is in bed, my boys both marginally and not so marginally fighting off colds, me sitting here with a very sore throat and 2 ginger loaves in the oven. The kitchen is vaguely tidy (The Atlas usually sorts it out after tea and he has far better job commitment than me!) it looks like there has been a snow storm with puff pastry all over the floor - which I vacuumed earlier!

But this is the thing, we - the four of us - are under the same roof - no-one unaccounted for. Not separated by jobs, ill-health, broken relationships, war.... We, together in body and together in heart. Here we are under the same roof and I can't imagine a thing worth celebrating about my week more than that.

Make My Week #35 - For My Soul

Currently our church is putting together a prayer room.

A place for people to go and be and spend time with God whenever they want to - day or night.

I was asked to make some cushions for it. Do you remember those ornate hand-stitched cushions you sometimes see in the very old churches - beautiful pieces with hours and hours of work in them? 

These are the time poor 21st century version.

I was asked to do the 'kneel' one but I chose the words 'connect' and 'yield'. Because for me ultimately prayer is about that  - connecting with a God who loves us, who has walked as a human, who provides a way for us to have real connection.

And I chose yield because ultimately when I yield I find life and relationship that makes me free to be exactly who I am. When I let go and lay down the things I carry that aren't for me to control or worry about I find peace and I know I am safe in the arms of the one who carries me.

What words bring life to your soul?

Joining in with other creative people  - click on the Our Creative Spaces button on the right.

Did you want to enter my August giveaway?

Wardrobe Wednesday - A Bit of a Wiggle

I made this dress a while ago out of an old curtain I got from my mother in law. I originally made it dress as part of the Julia Bobbin Mad Men Challenge.

I love it I feel like it is such a good shape for me. I'd say the era would be 50s or 60s in its silhouette.

Outfit Breakdown:

Dress $0  I made it from an old curtain of my MIL using a pattern from the 80s - I gave it an exposed zip at the back to make it less dressed up (I am quite partial to dressed up though - life is worth dressing up for!)

A cardi  (which is navy not black) Glassons $30

my new $15 boots from Cotton on. I get comments on them every time I wear them.

A necklace I made recently

Pop over and see Nin she has NEWS! (and leave her a comment - she loves them)

Also joining in at the pleated poppy

B.M.W.B #35 - Talking

We eat dinner together in our family - every night.

But sometimes we just eat, you know - shovel, shovel, 'keep eating', 'not with your fingers', shovel, shovel, 'do I have to eat any more?'.....

Usually we chat (sometimes everyone is talking, sometimes everyone is shovelling), often we ask the same questions again and again. 'How was your day?', 'Who did you play with at lunch time?' 'What was the best thing you did at kindy/school today?'..... blah, blah

Recently we did a middle years toolbox course and our facilitator gave us  some cool talk triggers. Some were a bit grown-up for our boys but they gave me a good start. So the other day I sat and wrote down 30 questions, some from this list, some I made up and cut them up on little cards.

Most are questions Flip can read and he LOVES the sharing time, the asking, the finding out new things. We don't use them every night but they give us a chance to freshen things up and to chat together and be interested in each other.

Do you talk much at the table? Do you have special questions that start great conversations?

This year I am making more of a conscious effort to have quality moments with my boys. B.M.W.B (becoming the mama I want to be)  is my way of recording and hopefully inspiring other mama’s too. Please inspire me with the little moments you are snatching with your little people OR with ideas I could do with mine. If you have blogged about it please leave a comment so we can all visit and encourage each other. 
Simple. Achievable. Intentional: becoming the mama I want to be.
Joining in with lovely Simone and other inspired bloggers -

Spilling Over

I often find when I stop to write a grateful post on Fridays I am 'spilling over' - there are so many things to be grateful for

The Atlas who spent 4 hours without a curse, an angry sigh, or throwing the computer through the window - to restore everything to its former glory and find everything that was lost. Flip is fascinated by the thought of people creating computer viruses, why they would do it and how they work - we have had a lot of conversations about how sadly sometimes there are grown ups who do bad and naughty things too just to make other people sad.

Little boys who want to wear mama's crown and her gumboots around - just because they can. (It's funny how at 3 they want to try your lippy and by 6 they won't even have a kiss if you are wearing it!)

The 3 idiots (and I say idiot as a compliment) I call my own. Getting one decent photo of the 3 of them was an adventure all in itself.

Grown ups who choose to have their birthday at chipmunks for the little people.

My new kitchen accessory that my mama handed down to me (after several hints!).

An evening with some friendly, interesting and delightful bloggers

(image stolen from Sophie's blog - home of the sisterhood)

This little man who tripped over during a wrestling match and moved 2 teeth backwards and has serious swelling and bruising but hasn't let that stop him a jot.

Grandad who saw it was teacher only day today so thought it might be a good weekend to visit and go to Antarctica (the Antarctic Centre) with Flip and Bounce for the day.

Sometimes I feel a fraud for having landed with such lovely kids and a great husband. They are the joy of my life.

What makes you smile this Friday?

Did you enter my giveaway?

Make My Week #34 - More Money Cuffs and a Giveaway

So after you were all so lovely about my wrist cuffs I thought one would make a perfect giveaway for August. These are the latest ones I have made using the same tutorial as last time.

I've also made a little brooch for the winner of my last giveaway but I won't reveal that until it is safely with its new owner. I do like it though I might have to make one for myself even.

If you are a Christchurch person I would love to encourage you to get along to Crafty Christchurch in the GeoDome in Hagley Park - starting tonight and going through the weekend. Some of the Chch bloggers are going tonight if you want to gatecrash.

To see other crafty makes click on the creative spaces button on the right

to enter the giveaway let me know which money cuff fabric you like best if you follow this blog and want 2 entries just leave 2 comments (by email, or google reader/connect thingy! or however else you might follow). The photo with the cuffs open is the most representative of their actual colours. Have another cut out in the green seersucker (wrinkly) fabric as well so you have to imagine that one!

I am going to give away 2 of these one for anyone who enters and the other for followers of my blog. Not because I want you all to follow, unless you actually want to, in which case welcome!! but I want to acknowledge all the encouragement I get from you choosing to come along for the journey.

to see more of the things I've been making go here

and if you don't want to enter please feel free just to leave a lovely comment but don't tell me which one you like best (clearly I love comments)

There are daffodils springing up in the garden - Spring is around the corner!

Wardrobe Wednesday - A Little Light Charleston?

So I am so not built for the late 20s/ early 30s but this week I was going for capturing a bit of the era. I know the coat isn't of the era but I do love it.

I would have loved long strands of pearls (fake are fine) to complete the look but I don't have any so I used some of my school-fair 50c strands in blue.

The shoes are from Hannahs and I've had them for a couple of years now - I love the way they look (they aren't very comfy though!)

The dress is the latest acquisition - I bought it at another SaveMart in Christchurch on Saturday. It is super comfy - think stretchy and soft and I have a feeling it might actually be a nighty - not that that stopped me wearing it to church.

Outfit breakdown:

Coat - bought in an op-shop about 9 years ago - original 1960s number.

Dress - $9.99 Save Mart Christchurch

Beads - 50c per strand school fair - bracelet is a long string of beads too

Shoes - Hannahs 2-3 years old

Tights - ancient!!

Headband - from one of those accessory shops in the malls about 3 years ago

Lipstick - a Lancome one I inherited from my sister '172 rouge cristal'

So if you are like me and you like spying in other people's wardrobes you can see some in these lovely places

or you can have a look through my wardrobe

and if you join in with Sailor Spy you might win prizes!!

B.M.W.B #34 - The Mystery Book Game

Sometimes I make up games just for fun. Simple things to do with my boys that create a happy atmosphere is my main hope from an activity.

This week I filled a drawstring bag with bits and pieces and in the afternoon we took turns pulling an item out. Whoever pulled out the item had to think of a story/book that related to the item (in their mind no hard and fast rules here). Then they found the book and we read it together.

It was great to stop and create anticipation and mystery around reading a big stack of books together.

Some of my happiest memories involve listening to stories.

The boys absolutely loved it and were very encouraging to each other about whatever they picked.

What is your favourite all-time picture book?

This year I am making more of a conscious effort to have quality moments with my boys. B.M.W.B (becoming the mama I want to be)  is my way of recording and hopefully inspiring other mama’s too. Please inspire me with the little moments you are snatching with your little people OR with ideas I could do with mine. If you have blogged about it please leave a comment so we can all visit and encourage each other. 
Simple. Achievable. Intentional: becoming the mama I want to be.

'Business Time'

If you are a Flight of the Conchords fan you'll be familiar with the song 'Business Time'

there are some very funny (if slightly inappropriate lines in it) about how 'we're cleaning our teeth - that's foreplay'

Tonight The Atlas asked me to order a book online and then we spent the next few minutes joking about how for me 'that's foreplay'!! (I am jesting!)

So he says - 'I tell her to order a book online - oh yeah - that's foreplay'

then he adds - 'I let her loose in the fabric shop with a credit card - oh baby - that's foreplay'

and finally 'I send her into the op-shop to shop while I look after the boys - yeah baby'

All said and laughed about while he was doing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen and I was on the computer - oh yeah baby!!

What can't you resist?

** apologies to any readers that find this less than funny - clearly The Atlas and I think we are hilarious - that's one of the reasons I love him so much! **

Finally Friday

Today I am grateful for 2 loads of washing on the line after a week of torrential rain.

and I am really, really glad I saved my photos elsewhere before the computer crashed and burned taking all of the contents of the hard-drive with it

so I'm mostly grateful with a little bit of technology hate thrown in for good measure

and you know what - the things I really, really am grateful for can't be killed by a technology malfunction

it's Friday people - whoot! and whoop! (because I quite like both those words.)

Make My Week # 33 - Inspired

At our church when people have a new baby they are made meals by people for a week. It is so wonderful to be on the receiving end of these. Recently we've had 3 friends give birth and I was making a meal for one set last night. I always like to do a dessert and I quite like the cupcake thing.

The new big sister (19 months) has this gorgeous top that is made of wide pink and green stripes that looks a lot like a watermelon. So Bounce and I made them some watermelon inspired cup cakes to finish off the meal.

I always feel like doing baking as make my week is cheating (because my baking isn't flash and I do it every week) but I am trying to embrace creativity wherever it comes and value it. I am often amazed and inspired by other people's baking and see them as very creative. Here is one such source of tempting inspiration!

To see what other people are creating click on the Creative Spaces button on the right.

Do you have rules for what counts as creative pursuit? Where do you most express your creativity?

Wardrobe Wednesday - about as 80s as I can manage

Sticking with an era for inspiration I'm working within some of the 80s parameters this week.

There will be exceptions:
- shoulder pads (all ready have my own naturally robust shoulders padding not needed)
- crop tops and exposed midriff - yeah not really thinking anyone would appreciate a large exposure of white stretched mark tummy (I know you can thank me later)

I'm not actually a great fan of the 80s fashions - power suits, MC hammer pants, oversized fluro t-shirts, overalls!, stone-washed jeans, pants that don't quite make it all the way to the ankles.....

Last week I was all 1950s and I do really, really love the shape but I also have to have fun with the way I dress. I am not a uniform wearer. I am about personality and fun. I like dressing up and I like variety.

This is my 'I <3 Jesus' dress which I first showed off here.
This is my 'day-wear' version.

Footless tights - hand-me-down
Shoes - Emily the Strange $7 from a school fair
Dress - $0 fabric and pattern gifted everything else from my stash, handmade
Jacket - bought in Amsterdam in 2004 from Vera Moda I think

Do you stick to a similar style of dressing most days or are you like me feminine one day, channelling a bit of punk the next?

Some more outfits I've thrown together this year

For a sneaky inside other wardrobes try the pleated poppy or lovely Nin at Sailor Spy

B.M.W.B #33 - Olympics Family Night 'The Blood and the Glory'

or it could be blood and gore - y. If you have a sensitive streak you may not want to read on.

With the Olympics being on and reading about Simone's Family Olympics I thought 'why not?'. On Saturday afternoon we invited another family to join us, dressed up as whatever countries they wanted to be - no problems if there were double ups.

I made medals, thought of activities - long jump in the hall: with a jumping pad, a landing pit/blanket and a tape measure; hurdles/obstacle course: outdoor benches, around the washing line, kick a ball, under the tramp sprint finish; Sprints: down the drive, onto the footpath, touch the neighbours letterbox and back.... there were some other ideas but we didn't get to them.

In fact during the hurdle heats (first activity) one of official timers decided to stand on a large Thomas train with wheels to watch and his little brother thought maybe he would pull him along.... concrete face plant anyone?
Massive amounts of blood, I mean massive! and rather a lot of screaming (from injured child)... and we thought it might be off to the emergency room or after hours doctor. However the patient, though difficult to console, wasn't going to miss out on his Olympics night.  He stayed on (the nurse next door gave us the ok) and even competed in the long jump and later the sprints.  It looks even worse in real life.

We finished the night watching some gymnastics, eating chips, pizza and ice-cream (we had earned it!!) and having a medal ceremony.

What did I learn? That family nights are incredibly important and special to my No.1 son. He adores the anticipation and the doing, the focus and specialness. And he's pretty brave to boot.

This year I am making more of a conscious effort to have quality moments with my boys. B.M.W.B (becoming the mama I want to be)  is my way of recording and hopefully inspiring other mama’s too. Please inspire me with the little moments you are snatching with your little people OR with ideas I could do with mine. If you have blogged about it please leave a comment so we can all visit and encourage each other.
Simple. Achievable. Intentional: becoming the mama I want to be.

Do you ever have family plans that go astray?