Wardrobe Wednesday - Socks

I think I have spoken before of my disdain for socks. It's the washing that gets me - all those mismatched socks swirling about, the hanging out on the line (that's the bit I hate the most) and then pairing them up and sending them back to the draws.

Consequently I have few socks and many tights

When I saw these socks in glassons I made a compromise

Here I am in all my leprechaun glory

Dress - handmade (fabric gifted, pattern and zip approx $10)
Cardi - Hospice Shop $8
Shoes - 25cents off Trade Me (the strap broke on one so I have to fix them before wearing them again)
Brooches - one earring and the other from trade aid
Socks - $7 from glassons
Bracelet - 50cents

not bad for a head to toe $30 ensemble. Click on the Wardrobe Weds button on the right for more outfit awesomeness.

Quiet Women

ahem.... clearly not referring to myself in the title! There seem to be rather a lot of women I have come across through blogging who are 'quiet powerhouses'. Maybe you know the type? If you hear about them before you meet them you expect some kind of type A (which if I'm honest I don't really know what that is), loud, decisive, take-over kind of personality

and then they really aren't

in fact they are quiet - very quiet, and you start to wonder if perhaps they aren't the person you thought they were

Let's be clear these women get stuff done, they are achievers and they activate and facilitate other people's achievement... they just do it quietly.

So I thought I'd introduce you to a couple of them:

Hazel - I'd read Hazel's blog and her goals before I met her. I expected her to be a kind of 'corporate go getter' which is weird seeing as she's all about independent and unique design....but she's not. She's softly spoken and quiet, she's sweet and I really can't imagine her grabbing any bull by the horns proverbial or otherwise but then I look at her track record.

She runs a beautiful blog, which catalogues and explores all the things she finds that are beautiful, she has launched Hazed which is an online magazine dedicated to all things 'Indie NZ' (which means independent designers and artisans doing pretty, unique stuff).

She is also clearly a cheerleader for designers and helping others to access their loveliness - as part of this cheer-leading routine she runs Indies Anonymous - which is about blowing each others' horns (when you know of someone achieving or doing beautiful things you spread the word for them), hosts Sweet Rendezvous - which is a place to find markets, workshops and gigs in your area.

Find these here

In April she and Holly ran a very successful market called the Craft Love Festival. Now she has also launched The Emporium which is an online shop to buy beautiful things made by lovely New Zelanders.
Oh, and she is also a mother and she works in some other job as well (I never know what people's real jobs are, I can barely even describe what The Atlas does day to day without getting tongue tied!)

I feel kind of tired just reading about her but I can assure you despite her clear skills and championing of the handmade cause she is just a lovely (quiet) woman who is out there making stuff happen.

Kirsty - I can't even remember when I first came across Kirsty but she kind of awes me out. Quiet and softly spoken she's another woman I can't imagine wrestling a bull to the ground but I wonder that perhaps she could. After setting up and running an online fabric business and 2 blogs. She and her husband (and 2 wee sons) started The Make Cafe where people come to cafe, shop and attend a myriad of workshops. As well as trying new recipes for the shop, helping to set up Bellyful in Christchurch, being part of teams to run markets and Crafty Christchurch, generously supporting the blogging and crafting scene, employing people, and doing all the things that go with running a business (I have no idea but the thought terrifies me), she has also recently extended her family in a very beautiful and precious way.

I can't imagine that Kirsty gets much sleep and yet she maintains some kind of inner calm I can only dream to possess!

Jamie - Jamie is another blogger who I 'met' when she contacted me before she and her husband moved to Christchurch in 2011. Jamie is a woman who has a massive capacity as well. She's quiet, an amazing listener and a giver in all senses of the word. Being familiar with how it feels to be an at home Mum in a new city she set up and runs an amazing website/newsletter called Christchurch Mums (I bet she wanted to call it Mom's!) which is a treasure trove of all good things happening around the city. She and her husband run a church, she runs a bereavement group and a whole lot of other stuff too.

I could probably keep writing all night about amazing women I have come across both through blogging and otherwise and I think I'll do more of these posts in the future too..... I want to write these posts because I think as women we need to champion each other. We need to be about recognising all the small and big things women do tirelessly, without thanks, without seeking their own glory.

Today I've talked about 3 quiet women doing big things but it isn't about quietness or even being able to spin many plates (which these women do) for me it's about women doing the things they love, the things they are passionate about. Women bringing the best they have to offer to the world. Surely this is what each of us should aspire to..... bringing all our best.

(pinterest seems to have some stupid new system that makes it hard to directly embed the image! If you want to see more quote I find inspiring go here)

I'd love to hear about a woman who inspires you, a woman you recognise as someone marching to the beat of her own drum.

48 Hours Film Festival

Once again our group has managed to end up making rather a 'dark' movie.

Our genre was action/adventure which we pretty much disregarded.

Not one to watch with your children. Definitely not a G rating.

If you want to see our teams film go here. Just under 6 minutes long, achieved in 48 hours.

Love you more than a slippery nighty in the forest at nighttime! xxxx

BMWB - Mum's Dairy

We always seem to have half eaten collections of sweets hanging around in our house. A bag from the dairy has a couple eaten and then we forget the rest.....

For all sorts of reasons we have lollies in all sorts of random spaces in the pantry.

When Flip started asking if he could bring some money for the dairy to school one day I said we already had plenty at home.

Before I went to collect them from school I set up my own little dairy just for fun.

When they got home they got a little bag and they could choose 10 lollies each. No cost to them or me :o)

I love being able to do those kind of sweet surprises for them

Have you entered the giveaway?

Becoming the Mama I want to be is about taking time to enjoy the journey of parenting, to honour it's value and to hopefully inspire and encourage each other. 

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

Button code on the right if you want it

23/52

This guy who had great fun wearing a bucket on his head and wandering round the house

this little one who is now sounding croupy - but still has such a sweet and loving disposition

Winner, Giveaway, Random Musings

Ever heard that  saying 'When you care but can't be there'? It's probably advertising flowers, parcels, cards or postage.... over the years my sisters and I have adapted it for our own entertainment

When you care but really can't be bothered going
When you care but not enough to do anything about it

When you care but actually you don't care....

that sort of thing..... I was reminded about this recently.

There is a lot of room for inspiration on the internets - we're all pinning wildly, recording all these ways we will live and do - at some point. I love looking at the amazing birthday parties people do... and really there are many, check out this wildly inspiring party lover to see what I mean.

Anyway - I do love me a good theme and a pretty look but I'm not the greatest at the execution and really - I care but not enough to spend time wildly shopping in a million different places to make everything match, not enough to go out and get a printer, not enough to learn how to make all kinds of pretty..... so if you are a little like me and you maybe would like the world's prettiest and matchi-est party may I direct you to the newest range at Stuck on You.

Think pretty party in a click - these images are all from their range - so you can dip your toe in with just an invite or you can go crazy and order the whole noise (minus the lady who jumps out of a cake - it's not that kind of party!).

Also if you'd like to win a $25 voucher for the stuck on you website just leave a comment - tell me a party fail - the time you dropped the last slice of pav and were so upset you picked it up off the floor and ate it anyway (or was that just my mum?), the invite you said yes to and then forgot to turn up.... you know those awesome memories.

For another entry pop over to the Stuck on You website and tell me your favourite party theme. Be sure to leave a separate comment.

Entries close next Saturday.

Also the winner of Remember That November is Bex Tamati congrats and look out for an email from me soon. Thanks to all who entered :o)

Grateful for Boys

I made this the other day to hang in the loo....

it's the kind of thing I probably never would have made if I'd had girls

the hope that 'Ready, Aim, Fire' might actually appeal and lead to aiming in - someone needs to design one of those stick on toilet cleaners that looks like a target.

I used to be rather smug about the fact I was married to one of those awesome men that leave the seat down. I never got a cold bottom landing on a seatless loo at night, I never got wet socks.... and then I had 2 small boys to show me the higher path to humility. A pathway walked in wet socks and forgotten flushes, I might add.

The other day Flip called to me from the loo, "sorry mama I've just wee'd on the magazines" (no more magazines in our loo)... thing is I laughed and replied "thanks for letting me know darling".... I'm kinda low-key which is both a good and bad thing in such situations.

I know there will come a time in our lives when it's back to just The Atlas and I - the seat will be down, the floor will be clean and I'll pine for these days. So today I'm stopping to be grateful for a toilet that needs a 'Ready, Aim, Fire - Flush, Wash' sign.

Joining in with Meghan