Wardrobe Wednesday - where I hang my colour

Every Wednesday, Every Wardrobe Welcome.

Thanks so much for coming to play today

 I was asked by a friend the other day to put up some photographs of my actual wardrobe. Is it showing too much or does it just whet your appetite to see more?? I really enjoyed looking at Ange's very neatly hung and sorted wardrobe and draws last week so I have submitted to the request.

My shoes (mainly) live in our entrance way - I think they look welcoming don't you?? As you can see I have a little thing for heels. This is also the most black you will see in my wardrobe. :o)

The Atlas and I 'share' (see he has a few shirts at the end???) this rack - it has my coats and jackets on it.
The other rack is my dresses, shirts, skirts and 'formal wear' (in that order) - along with my wedding dress.

I'd love to have a proper wardrobe, we do have some plans for one, but - as much as I fear for the strength of the racks -  it is a happy colourful view to me.

I do wear black occasionally but predominantly I wear colour and so I think my wardrobe is a good balance for me in that sense.

If I opened your wardrobe door what would I see?????

Wearing - dress homemade for my sister's wedding in 2011, lemon fishnet tights - hand me down, shoes bought in 1999 for my first job interview, pink train necklace homemade.

So what is Wardrobe Wednesday?

• It's a chance to take some time once a week to peel off the polar fleece trackies (I have a pair too!!) and put on something that gives you a chance to have a 'play' in your wardrobe, to make yourself feel like life is worth dressing up for!
•  It's a time to celebrate and hopefully to embrace your body however you find it - post baby, young or old your body is lovely and functional and precious and I want this place to be a place for you to see other women (ordinary, beautiful women) who don't live in designer homes on designer budgets with designer bodies.

How to play?

1. Link in your specific blog post not just your general blog

2. Link to a post about clothes - that's what we're here for

3. Please add a link back here so other people can come over and see people's clothing posts too - the old fashioned way or grab a button

4. Be encouraging and visit people - leave a comment now and again too everyone loves to get encouragement

Here's the button copy and paste away

<center> <a href=" http://createhopeinspire.blogspot.co.nz/search/label/Wardrobe%20Wednesday"><img border="0" src="http://i1145.photobucket.com/albums/o516/CreateHopeInspire/WWbutton.jpg" width="160" height="160"/></a></center> Thanks for linking up today and especially to those who have taken time to add a link back or button code.

When Christmas Comes Early

sponsored by nuffnang

A wee while ago we got a parcel in the post - a very big parcel - addressed to mama but really for a little Thomas lover.

oh the shiny eyes

oh the big excitement

oh the unwrapping and the ohs and ahs

a very happy little camper.

Bounce spent the rest of the day playing with it and I have had request after request for it to be out. I was rather stoked Daddy was home when it arrived it was so cute to watch them unpack it and 'man-talk' while they put it together!! Later in the week when it was my turn to put it together Bounce said to me at one point, 'It's okay mama we can wait for Daddy' and when I did manage it, 'Wow mama you did a really good job'. Gotta love an encouraging kid!! It's not actually that hard to put together I must say I just have some spatial construction issues (you don't know what I mean? How strange *wink*)

When Flip got home he was so excited to see it he forgot to take his school bag off before he started playing with it.

The thing I enjoy most about watching Bounce play with it is the inner audible dialogue I get to hear. Little instructions and the oh, whoops, just a minute, this is the way, switch this, hey come here(when he forgets to switch onto the course he wants). With the different places to stop and the track switch and boulder shoot there is a lot to make him feel like he really is in control of the track.

This is one of those toys that everyone has played with when they come over (and I mean the adults too - oh yes, the Daddies that have popped in may have had a more difficult time than the little ones with the distraction factor).

This 'Thomas Trackmaster' set reminds me a bit of the 'death drop' at primary school. The brave and coordinated used to sit at the top of the bars and flip backwards and then onto the ground (landing of course on their feet - it's probably banned now). Thomas stops to unload his load (down the chute and into the flying fox thingy (Mama is not a train expert!) and then takes a leap from one track and lands on the rest and speeds home.

Bounce loves Thomas so much - he has always had such a thing for machines and trains and this was the most amazing thing for us to receive in the post. We made a little movie of him doing his thing I kind of like this one because you can see how excited he is hopping along between the bits. It doesn't show all the ways it works but I just adore his obvious delight watch for the jumping with happiness toward the end.


Actually this little film is also available to watch here. In the same place there are other cuties playing with their Thomas Trackmasters and if you want to you can vote for your fav (read your fav not my film this is not a fishing-for-your-vote post! Unless of course you want to give me your vote, which I will happily receive!). Guess what - your vote also enters your Thomas lover into an a.ma.z.i.n.g prize draw. (Which I am assured is open to New Zealanders.)

You can find us on line here 

You can also make your own film of your wee one doing their own Thomas-thing and enter them into your video competition part as well.

There are weekly prizes of trackmaster product and at the end of the 'campaign':

The winner will receive $3000 worth of Thomas product and a family trip to Puffing Billy, with your wee Thomas lover being a conductor on Thomas on the day. (That's a free trip to Victoria in Australia!! - whoot)

Of course should you all fall in love with my video and vote us in as the winner I will accept with all the humility you have come to expect and love me for - oh wait that is someone else I was thinking of!! 

Don't tell me I never give you the in! :o) Okay so I hardly ever have an in but this is cool right?

B.M.W.B # 44 Little Things

It was Monday afternoon and I was aware I really had nothing to talk about this week and so I thanked my internet accountability team (that's you, you are my unpaid staff!) and we made chalk paint.

I found this on pinterest (surprise, surprise!)
equal measures of cornflour and water - I used 1/3 of a cup of each and mix.

I poured them into teeny muffin tins and let the boys colour their own
Then we went and painted with them on the driveway.

Dinner was baking in the oven and the sun was shining.

It didn't take all afternoon but it was restful and focussed and we chatted and listened to Bounce as he sang with delight.

The liquid changes to a chalky powder as it dries and it lasts for ages (especially when you can only find super fine brushes!!)

Having dinner organised in the middle of the day and an attitude that the afternoon is for the boys with me made Monday afternoon beautiful. (and with a 5am start it could have been otherwise!!)

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. 

Simple. Achievable. Intentional: becoming the mama I want to be.

Lines Between Virtual and Real

I'm one of those people who always has room for another friend. I'm not necessarily great at keeping in touch with you all the time or remembering your birthday or seeing you every week (or even year) but for me that makes no difference in the 'how I feel about you stakes'. I know it doesn't work this way for everyone. Some people like a few (very few) close friends. Some people walk closely together in terms of time and communication. People like this probably don't find friendships with people like me very easy. Others have lots of friends and still manage the great balance of contact and regular check ins.

 I just like to have lots of friends and pick up from wherever we left off and make a lot of noise and hopefully induce some laughter and encouragement along the way.

Since I have started blogging I have made a new circle of friends. For me these online/virtual relationships don't take the place of in-life relationships but they introduce me to people I'd like to have in my real life circles. If the opportunity arises I want to cross that blurry line from virtual to real (maybe it's a bit like the velveteen rabbit!!)

This weekend I have been away with some beautiful, talented, creative, smart, life-giving women and all bar one I would never have met (or started a friendship with) outside of blogging.

Although I'll never meet the authors of all the blogs I read and certainly though I enjoy reading many blogs there are definitely those who I think 'I'd have a great coffee date with you'.

I want to live my life accountab-ly and with integrity both online and in real life and when we talked this weekend one of the girls said that my virtual voice and my real voice married up for her. This made me very happy.

A weekend of talking, crafting and making the transition between the velveteen and the real was such a great time and I realise that these virtual relationships bring energy to me and challenge me to be the best of me.

Do you take time out with girl friends?
Do you believe in the transition between online and real?
Would you go away for a weekend with people you haven't 'met'?

Thanks so much to Leonie and Cat for their invitation and for all the work they did to make it a gorgeous weekend.
And to Laura and Sammy and Simoney who thought we were worth travelling to spend time with
and to Juliet and Deb who are part of what makes Christchurch bloggers a wonderful, exciting group of women (even the ones I haven't met in real life yet!!).

Some photos from the weekend and some I took on the plane this morning - there are advantages to early starts after all!! (Deb and Juliet took most of the photos so hopefully they will do their own post and there are a few on Cat's blog already).

Make My Week #43 New Look 6000

I bought this pattern a while ago because I loved the pleated part so much but it takes a heap of fabric and I haven't quite managed to get around to that view.

But the other day I picked up some fabric reduced to $6m and with another 30% off and so for $7.40 or something crazy I bought this cotton drill and made the plain version with the short sleeves. I love this fabric so much. It's very William Morris I think.

Often when I am sewing I lengthen the hem only to find I have way too much length at the end so this time I cut it exactly and oh me, I literally overlocked and turned. This pattern is short!

The sleeves have a cute pleat detail on top (that is very hard to self-photograph!!) and I used an exposed zip. I quite like using hard looking exposed zips on super feminine clothes just to give them some spunk. (The Atlas told me I had spunk - personality wise - last night! He is so awesome.)

I graded the pattern from a 12 in the body to a 14 at the top to make some room for my 'Taranaki Shoulders'.

This is the second dress I have made this month - the other one is here. I'm wearing the dress with the camper boots The Atlas bought me when we were in Milan before we had kids and a mortgage!

To see what other creative people are up to click on the button on the right.
For other clothes I've made
For all my creative endeavours lately.
Clothes I'm wearing on pinterest
There are lots of people who have made this New Look 6000 pattern google it for more incarnations.

Wardrobe Wednesday - When Real Life and an Outfit Collide

Every Wednesday, Every Wardrobe Welcome.

Thanks so much for coming to play today. I do look forward to your company each week.
So this was the outfit I dreamed up for today. New shoes, new second-hand cardi, handmade dress and lisptick and stockings:

Then I realised I was biking the boys to school so the shoes took a back seat. (And my tights had laddered when I put them on but I wore them anyway - I'm a bit lazy like that!):

By the time I got home from the school and kindy bike I had caught myself in the chain of the bike and so I looked like this:

And when the washing machine repair man came to the door (it is now fixed, bless you washing machine repair man!) I looked like this. (the tights were still on and still laddered!) New second-hand top, petticoat for making my dress stick out - yes I answered the door wearing undergarments):

I know I have no shame! None!
Finally (after using a toothbrush and citrus spray to get rid of the grease)  I biked back to kindy and school in this:

Skirt handmade and shoes from an op-shop - yes that would be stripes and polka dots.

Have you ever had this kind of wardrobe fail day?

I was very interested in the jeans replies last week. I have 3 pairs I wear 2 and one pair I need to get rid of and that's all. And one of those pairs are the kind you wear for gardening or on the days you look like you have given up.

So what is Wardrobe Wednesday?

• It's a chance to take some time once a week to peel off the polar fleece trackies (I have a pair too!!) and put on something that gives you a chance to have a 'play' in your wardrobe, to make yourself feel worth dressing up for.
•  It's a time to celebrate and hopefully to embrace your body however you find it - post baby, young or old your body is lovely and functional and precious and I want this place to be a place for you to see other women (ordinary, beautiful women) who don't live in designer homes on designer budgets with designer bodies.

How to play?

1. Link in your specific blog post not just your general blog

2. Link to a post about clothes - that's what we're here for

3. Please add a link back here so other people can come over and see people's clothing posts too - the old fashioned way or grab a button

4. Be encouraging and visit people - leave a comment now and again too everyone loves to get encouragement

Here's the button copy and paste away

<center> <a href=" http://createhopeinspire.blogspot.co.nz/search/label/Wardrobe%20Wednesday"><img border="0" src="http://i1145.photobucket.com/albums/o516/CreateHopeInspire/WWbutton.jpg" width="160" height="160"/></a></center> Looking forward to seeing what you are wearing this week. If this is your first link in - WELCOME! thanks for joining us.

B.M.W.B #43 - Team Work

This week I want to talk about being the kind of team I hope to be. As you'll know I've just had an extended weekend with The Atlas in Melbourne, and while who would turn down a wonderful city break it is much more than that to me.

As a mama of boys I am very aware that they are watching me all the time. Seeing how I talk to The Atlas, how I talk about him, the tone, the volume the words. I am showing them what they will grow up to expect from a wife (and I do hope they have one, one day a long, long time away!!!). I am setting the tone for their understanding of how women feel, behave and think about and towards men.

While in some ways this freaks me out I also think this is something I need to take seriously. The Atlas is an amazing man and a man very deserving of my honour, support, love and delight.

Sometimes he comes home to a grumpy, huffy person I am ashamed to say, and it's not just him I let down by that I also let my boys down.

Getting away together for special couple time is such a treat for our relationship but it is also about being the mama I want to be. A mama who loves her man and puts that relationship first.

When Mama and Papa are on the same team, hand in hand, back to back and laughing together then we are giving our boys a wonderful launching pad and a safe landing-place.

This week being the best mama I can be has meant taking time to delight in the relationship that made this possible and the relationship that will, I hope and pray, continue in a healthy, happy way long after our babies have flown the nest.

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. 

Simple. Achievable. Intentional: becoming the mama I want to be.

(I realise it is probably very unfashionable and very unPC to talk about being a 'good' wife but actually I just think that is a shameful measure of our culture. I have married a good man and I want to be a good woman to match.)

Hello Melbourne

I may have shopped.
This street art is just made with water - so awesome!

On the way there I had only a suitcase the size of carry on baggage allowed - 3 dresses, 1 extra pair of shoes and undies and togs. About 7kg! I was impressed with myself. (by the time we left I doubled my weight, both the suitcase and my own I suspect!!)
Course the suitcase I chose has a zip-out extension - just in case.

On Friday we started at the Queen Vic markets - I do love a good food market!

Then we wandered the central city in the morning and while The Atlas was filling our water bottle up at the cool filtered water station I may have popped in to look at a shoe shop and popped out 5 minutes later with 2 pairs of shoes. Ahem.

We checked out a wonderful chocolate shop in the Royal Arcade KoKo Black. In the morning I had stopped a girl in a pastry queue to tell her how great her outfit was and how cute she looked and then bumped into her serving us at the KoKo Black stall in the market.

In the afternoon we headed up Brunswick street which is just out of the CBD (we walked there though so it's not that far). The shops and area reminded me a lot of parts of Cuba St in Wellington. The Atlas picked up some awesome limited print run t-shirts. Meet Me At Mikes has obviously closed there but it was fun to get the the photo!

Then in the evening we headed into Chinatown for dinner which was great fun and good food.
On Saturday The Atlas surprised me with an op-shop tour he had booked me in to! I do love that man. Obviously he wasn't planning on a day rummaging - so he sorted my travel card, gave me cash and a large empty bag/case and walked me to the group meeting point. (He's such a catch right??)

The tour was lots of fun we went to about 6 op-shops, stopped for lunch and had fun rummaging. I met a lovely Melbourne Fashion/Op-Shop blogger and another new-to-blogging mummy blogger on the tour too - we are everywhere!

Many of the op-shops in Melbourne are really nice. Well styled windows, lovely shop assistants (young with great style) and the marketing  - particularly for the Salvation Army op-shops - is done so well. By the time you leave you feel like you have just made a major difference to the homeless by choosing to shop there.

In the evening we had an amazing Vietnamese meal with The Atlas' cousin and his  lovely wife.
We were so pleased to get home to our beautiful boys last night and we'd definitely be happy to visit
Melbourne again anytime. There is so much more to see and do there.

I even managed to do some crafting in the airport and on the plane.

Have you entered my giveaway?
(I think normal programming will resume tomorrow - it depends how much unpacking happens today!!)