A new year,..

2010, a new year.

I have been very slack posting this year. It has been very busy and only 0ne month has passed. So much has happened. Our beautiful dog Reg, had to be put down on New Years Day. It was quite traumatic. He was 14, nearly 15. He was around long before the kids. He put up with the kids, he loved us all unconditionally. I miss that dog.

Andrew is away in China at the moment, and has now been for 5 weeks. Its been fairly full on with the two kidsand looking after the house. Things like trying to get the lawnmower going, which andrew woudl fix in 2 seconds, becomes a drama....

anyway its now february, and this is what ive bought today.

Benny checking out the tub of Mobilo, $2. quite a few of the connector pieces have been chewed, but most are fine, and ben is enjoying himself there.


a wooden marble run game, which i know is an Aldi brand... but it was still in the original plastic bag inside $2

pack of nappies... yes i know they are girl nappies, but for day time, who cares particularly when they are $5

a tablecloth in this funky print with dresses and tops all over it . have visions of turning iit into a skirt or a tunic.

and this little shoulder bag which i made at craft morning at Jo's

Trying not to buy? who am i kidding?

I have been trying to only buy things that i need, rather than things that i want... but i failed. I found this glass bowl, $4 and of course had to have it... will work out later where i will put it. It just makes me happy

then, i found this cot sheet, and turned it into this,

from this pattern.

its one of those cross over dresses, super easy to make, but very difficult to take a decent picture lying flat.

and here are my boys with my gingerbread house... not sure how long it will last in this house.

material madness

Onceagain, things have been quiet here. Ive been house sitting for the last week or so, so quiet on the op shopping front.

For christmas this year, i have been attempting to make things for people for christmas.
Here is benny holding mums beach/pool bag. Made from oilcloth, and lined with red linen serviettes, from Lions club oppy, i think it looks cool. So cool, that im def going to make one for myself, as i have been using this one non stop to cart all the kids stuff about.


On Tuesday i stopped at Hornsby Salvation Army Oppy and came back with this lot of material. all the small pieces were 50c, and the big piece, which is a curtain was $3.


as you can see i whipped up a pair of shorts for benny. Its lovely and thick cotton material, and i think they are pretty good looking shorts. The sort that i would buy if i saw in a shop. Unfortunately i didnt have any elastic, so they are draw string, or should i say draw shoe lace! at the moment.

My gorgeous model.

and here is another little bag i zipped up with the oil skin, with lining made out of a $2 tablecloth from Berowra.

Today is thursday, today is one of the good days (although every day is a good day) to go to the op shop as the ladies churn out a lot of new stuff into the shop...

Some Hippo Loving

I certainly go in fits and starts on here dont i. I must admit i have not been to the op shop quite as much as i usually do. Life has been extrodinarily busy lately, and i even went for nearly two weeks without going to an op shop! thats amazing really.

Today at Jo's craft morning, i made these shorts for my boys. They are made out of a curtain that she bought from Hornsby Salvation army and she very kindly gave me half. After she had given me half, i found this fabric on ebay for sale for $45 a metre!!!!! eee gads. I cut very carefully after knowing that fact. I think jo paid about 2 dollars for 6 metres or so! I think my boys look gorgeous.

Hope thats a better pic Rhonda!

Really! would have thunk it?

Night Nappies? you wouldnt think that they were that hard to buy would you? Both coles and IGA had sold out, and i was not going to buy a whole pack of large nappies, which tom hates wearing, just so i could put a night nappy on him for one night. Can you believe that i got 3/4 pack of night nappies fromthe op shop???? i nearlyfell over when i saw them there.



I made this very cute kids size messenger bag last night. Ben refuses to wear it, but tom does to put his trains in. Very funny sight. What was even better was that i attached the strap using my press machine... aaah i love that thing


some more material

can see a boy bag being made out of this

a pair of lonsdale boys sneakers for $2

and two single racing car sheets.... bliss

Doona cover to tote bag and a little bit dipsy

Benny loves the Teletubbies,.. I found this Dipsy at the op shop for $3 and he has not let go of it since i gave it to him. You think he likes it?

My friend Kath gave me a pattern for a picnic tote bag. I have started it using an old doona cover, and the pink material is an old sheet. Unfortunately the sheet has a bit too much polyester in it so it makes it "walk" when you sew it, so i will

have to re do the straps before i line it. Ilike it though

More material from the Oppy

Interesting way to put my pictures... how did i do that?

No matter... Today i got from the Op Shop a Pippi Longstocking video . How could i not??

This lovely blue fabric which will be excellent to use as a lining for one of my bags.
Jo, this picture is particularly for you. My material was SO out of control, shoved here there and everywhere, that i decided to use a picnic basket that tom bought at the op shop once. It now houses some of the material, with the rest organised (for now,) in a plastic container.

And last pic is of my new messenger bag in progress... what do you think?