Pasta Machine

Yesterday i bought a pasta machine from the Op Shop. It was not cheap going on op shop prices, but thats because it was brand new in the box. $10 is cheap for the entertainment it provided for the kids.

I did um and aaah over it a bit because it is one of those things that can sit in the kitchen and take up space,.. but i decided to give it a go, as i have always wanted to try making pasta.



Here is benny in his PJ's with his apron on with the Pasta machine.


and heres tom looking very proud of himself drying his pasta on the coffee machine!.

August 2009

So much has been happening this month. We have been to the snow and had a great time. THe majority of our ski gear came from the op shop, along with fitting out the other two families that came along with us.

Tom and ben have been very busy making their own cardboard kitchen outside with utencils from the Op Shop... they love their kitchen.


Tom cooking







Tom in his op shop gear ready to head out for the afternoon with his dad

Me and Benny enjoying a very snowy day. Tom took this photos with his $5 camera from the Oppy.

So many more bargains have been got from the op shop, obviously im a bit behind to write every one. But yesterday we got a telescope, which the boys both love, and they use it in conjuntion with a globe of the world which was $1.50 and they look through the telecope and then find on the globe where they are looking.... Lovely to watch.

Putting it out there!

Yesterday i was at the op shop and i asked the girls there if there were any suitcases. I need one to take to the snow with our ski gear in it. I wasnt concerned with the condition as they are to go in the back of the ute, and will get thrown about a bit.

Today i go to the op shop, and what do you know, not one, but two suitcases, so perfect for what i needed. $3 each.

also while i was there, i got a teletubbies and a Kipper video, benny being really into teletubbies, and tom liking Kipper,.. 50c each. A bath mat, $2 perhaps from memory, and a long sleeved collared shirt for $2.


also with the material that i bought from the Salvos a few weeks ago, so far i have lined a bag with it, made a skirt, and then this headband, which is permanently on my head at the moment. obviously my hair needs a trim if its annoying me. I just love these colours.

what ive been up to

Its been nearly a month since ive updated my blog.

I have been a bit sidetracked with crafting lately, particularly with Jo starting up Monday Craft again. My rules for crafting are though that i cant buy any material new, not that i could afford it anyway, but all material has to come from either the op shop or from existing material that i have.

Tom is desperate for a camera, so he decided to make one! It even has a slot for a memory card


I wish i had taken a picture of the shirt before i chopped it up, but here are the pants that i am making. The material flower things were on the front of the shirt, and i just cut them off, and re=sewed them on.

Cute eh


and here is tom with his Blues Clues apron he was deseperate to make, and the baking that followed.

Bring on winter please

Im giddy with excitement of this buy.

Its brand new with the tags on it. My size, and oh so so soft. Its a target brand jacket,, but boy its BEAUTIFUL. a steal at $10. Bring on the freezing weather please.

What we have been up to.

Our mothers group has organised to take our families to the snow this year, to get our kids out on the slopes to learn to ski. My job has been to buy kids ski gear. I have been doing this probably for about 5 months or so, and so when K asked if i had much kids ski gear, i really didnt know. After having a look, we were both laughing as I had bought 8 kids outfits.!! i know its great that the kids have at least 2outfits, but 8 is a bit of overkill! Oh well, better to have too many.

Here is a pair of ski pants i picked up from Epping Vinnies for $5. very happy with that one.
My next mission is to get gloves and hats, as many pairs of gloves as possible, as there is nothing worse than an unhappy child who has wet and very cold hands.


After being at Jo's Tom and i did a bit of craft. Pencil holders, outof old cans, and wrapped in material fromthe op shop. The dark blue spot one is an old dress fromthe op shop that i bought because i loved the material.



Here is a COlombia mens rain Jacket, for andrew $6. Very happy with this one.

and lastly, my benny in a pair of leggings which mum is making for him, with wool bought from the Oppy Shoppy. Cute eh.

The Jo Effect

After spending a very lovely morning with my friend Jo, and talking about craft, thrifting, the usual, and about how everyone else seems to find the time, so why cant i? I have decided to take action.

I have put both the boys in the one room, which is working really well, which means that we have the study back, but more to the point, it means that i can have my sewing machine up on the table and permanently out..... of course i need to clean the room out and that will take a long time, but for me there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

bearing this all in mind, seeing as i didnt get a mothers day present, i took it upon myself to order some books from the book depository, in england. better and cheaper than amazon, and have ordered two books. One that Jo has called "bend the rules" and the other one called "Zakku" or something like that,whihc i had read about in another magazine. Cant wait for them to arrive, so at least i can read about doing something crafty. One step at a time.

Anyway at the op shop today i got two patterns... both for girls, but i have lots of girlfriends with baby girls, so it gives me an opportunity to fulfil my girly crafty ideas.

and then this wonderful single sheet, which i intend to make some jammie pants for both the boys... so soft but i really like the pattern.