More mail love (and Mollie modelling quilts.)

How adorable is this quilt Mollie is lying on? Seriously?
A wee while ago, the lovely Deb emailled me asking if perhaps I might want to do a bit of a swap with her - some Summer clothes for her Annie, in return for a quilt for my Mollie. I don't think I even took a breath before hitting 'reply' and typing in YES. Yes, please!
We set a date for the end of October, but I'm lagging a bit on my half (broken sewing machine = delays!) so I wasn't expecting to get the quilt until I was done.
Deb messaged me and said 'It's done! I want to sent it!' and send it she did!
I was very, very excited to get home a few days later and find a big parcel on my front step. But, even more exciting (and slightly confusing), was that there were TWO big parcels there, both from Deb?! I wondered for a quick minute if perhaps she had accidentally sent me someone elses parcel too? (Sounds like something I would do..)
I took them inside and tore into the smaller one - it was Mollie's quilt and it was even more beautiful than it looked in the pictures I had seen. The colours, the fabric.. so lovely!
I opened the second postbag and out fell the most stunning (queen size!) quilt. I had seen it on Deb's blog, where she had said she was gifting it to a friend.. and I realised that friend was little ole ME! I still cannot believe the generosity. It is the most perfect quilt ever.

It is the exact colour of my new curtains, the blues match the vintage dresses on my wall and we even have a stag on our fireguard to match the deer fabric she used! These photos really don't do it justice at all. ( I recommend going to look at it over on Deb's page.. everything she makes is lovely.)

Deb, thank you so much. I ADORE both of them. Thanks for being amazing.

(and the fabric you sent too.. ohhh yes. That is another blog post!)

Oh, Ohiwa!

This past weekend was spent at one of my favourite places - Ohiwa.
We head to Ohiwa a few times a year to stay at the campground over there. Sometimes we tent, sometimes we get a cabin, but we always have the greatest time. I think it's because is just 40 minutes from home but it feels like a whole 'nother world.
This weekend we had a cabin, we deemed it too cold for camping and we were right! We hired a cabin and my Mum and Dad came along in their camper. I was so glad we did it this way because we had one fine day, and one day where it absolutely poured down.
Luckily, even in the rain, it is far more exciting to be there than it is to be at home! We borrowed a DVD player, and spent the afternoon watching Fantastic Mr Fox and eating ice creams from the shop.

On the Saturday, when the weather behaved, we spent a good chunk of time digging for crabs in the harbour. There's something so exciting about crabbing. The squelching of the mud, the thrill of the chase, the competition for the biggest nippers, and then watching them all burrow back into the ground when you release them at the end. I think I love it perhaps even more than the kids!

Aesop was pleased to find some kids he knew from school were over for the weekend too. They spent hours racing round on their bikes, kicking the ball around and exploring the campground and sand dunes. So cool to see my boys spending so much time outdoors - not being a outdoorsy person myself, I guess I don't really encourage a lot of outdoor play. I think that might need to be a goal these coming months - more outside adventures!

All in all, it was, as usual, a delicious weekend full of food, family and fun. So good.
Roll on Summer, especially if it means more weekends like this one!

Mollie's Chair : 6 Months!

Mollie
6 Months

My Mollie-mol was officially six months old on Monday. Half a year! This is crazy, or as Otto would say: 'What the hiccup?!'
It has been, all in all, such a great six months. We had a wee bout of reflux, we haven't had a lot of sleep and we've had a few other ups and downs, but Mollie is truly a delicious child and that makes anything else seem much more manageable.

Mol is rolling and inching her way around the room now, occasionally pulling up to her hands and knees. She is so close to taking off.
After a few tastes of banana a few weeks ago, Mollie has decided she's not ready for solids. (Well, we've decided... but she is refusing to have us put anything near her mouth and is not bringing things to her mouth herself yet.) We're thiiiis close to bringing up the high chair though - just waiting for her to master sitting up by her self.
Sleeping is coming along.. slowly but surely.
Mollie adores: her brothers, her Dad, nursery rhymes with actions (Row, row, row your boat and The grand old duke of york especially!), snuggling with Otto's special toys and being in bed with me.

Happy half birthday, Mollie. You are very, very loved. (And quite cute too, I must say..)

Dee is AMAZING.

OMG.
I'm SO excited.
SPARKLY shoes!!

Mail love, and recent additions.

A very short while ago, I recieved a message from a lady through my Toast FB page. She said she liked my blog and, very kindly, offered to send me some fabric that she no longer needed. I said 'yes, please!' and gave her my postal address. I smiled a lot that afternoon. What a kind thought!

Abraham called this afternoon to say that a big parcel had arrived for me, and would I come and get it?
Exciting!
I picked it up, rushed home, plonked Mollie on the floor (nicely, of course..) and tore into the brown paper that the goodies were wrapped in.




(My favourites - the cats are going to become a dress for Mol verrrry soon!)



The fabric was amaaaazing. I don't even exaggerate. You know how it can be a bit hit and miss when people gift you things, (especially relative strangers!) well there was not a single piece in the pile that I would not have snaffled up had I been buying it myself!



As if the fabric and wee haberdashery bits weren't enough - in the very middle was something wrapped carefully in cardboard and tissue paper. I opened it up to find two, very delicate, deer for my collection.

(They had broken limbs and I worried that perhaps I had not been careful enough in my excitement to open the parcel - but the note inside explained that they had just been so excited to come live with us that they had jumped out of the cupboard! Phew. Heh.)

I am more than blown away by this parcel.
I have been lucky enough to receive a few wee gifts from readers since I started blogging, but I will never ever stop being surprised by the incredible generosity people have.
Thank you SO much.

***



As well as amazing mail love, I have a new (second hand) camera lens. Uh-huh, this camera thing could get addictive. I might now need to learn how to use it properly though, so I can justify buying some fancy lenses too!

And, finally, this is my only thrift find in the past few weeks. It has been a bit of a dry spell!
I do love the older metal tonka trucks, and this one is a bit different to the ones I normally see. It has a cracked windscreen, but for $3 I couldn't resist.
Otto seems to like it too, the trailer is perfect for transporting stormtroopers.. upside down.

All this Spring weather we've been having has me thinking about my garden.
At the moment, my garden is a magical combination of over-grown, and yet completely bare - at exactly the same time. I'm not sure how that is even possible, but I swear it is.

We went to visit my Mother-in-law and her partner this week. I had to take my sewing machine over to be fixed, and so Abraham took some time off and we made a day of it. It was so lovely.
I spent quite a bit of time wandering around their garden with my camera. I absolutely adore spending time in their back yard, it is the most amazingly lush space.
Chris has built half a dozen beds, that are now filled to the brim with vege plants. They have yet more growing in tubs, bags and in the ground itself. Everything is edible and it feels almost like a 'you name it, they have it' sort of situation. The centre of the garden is a huge chook run, and Chris has also built the cutest wee potting shed. There are little retro touches throughout; a  hand basin, little statuettes, and kitchenware.
I think it might be one of the most inspiring gardens I've ever set foot in, because I've come home with big dreams of better utilising our space. .

Wardrobe!

Sunglasses - ASOS.com
Dress - Salvation Army (sleeves and hem shortened)
Brooch - Croutons.felt.co.nz
Leggings - Glassons

It's been a few weeks since I did a wardrobe post, mostly just because the number of clothes in my rotation at the moment is tiny. I don't actually fit many of my clothes still, and I'm still avoiding buying too many more in case I miraculously find the motivation to drop any of this baby weight.
That is not looking likely anytime soon though.. I may just have to give in!

I did (finally) alter this dress a few weekends ago. It had long sleeves and was a near-ankle length. I definitely like it much better like this. I think it has potential to be my fave Summer dress.

Just need a few more now.. one dress isn't going to cut it for a whole Summer.. ahh to find the time!

(We visited my favourite family home again this week - the one I photographed last year. I have another post, about the garden, planned for tomorrow. Ohhhh such a beautiful home.)

Snippets and WIPs.

I feel like time is just whizzing by at the moment.
My days are so full.
With the boys on school holidays, Mollie, household tasks, sewing... I feel like the moments I get to just sit, and quietly and pop my head up for air, are few and far between.
I'm not complaining though - quite the opposite actually. I'm quite enjoying myself.
Mollie is slowly learning to sleep in her bed (touch wood), I'm really loving the things I've been working on for my Felt shop, the weather is warming up, we've been eating like kings.. and there are so many things on the horizon for us. (I can't wait to tell you about some of them, but not just yet!)
Life is good.

Grommets!

On Friday, Otto had his operation to get grommets put in.

He has put up with years of ear infections and glue ear without much complaining at all, and he put up with the operation this way too! And despite all my worrying, and minor freak-outs about the anesthetic, I was surprisingly calm on the day as well.

We spent the night with Abraham's Mum the night before, to avoid travelling really early in the morning. We woke at sparrows fart, and headed to the hospital. We skipped breakfast and checked in, with rumbling tummies.
We were lucky enough to be second in line for surgery, meaning we only waited 2 hours. Otto was incredibly good, and Mollie was too. We drew pictures, played Cut The Rope, and had the pre-surgery checks. Then it was time to rock 'n roll!

The whole thing was over and done with in around 20 minutes.
Otto woke up a little agitated, but soon calmed when the nurse took the IV lure out of his leg. He turned down an ice block, and really just wanted his Dad. (Must say I took that one a little personally..)

It was incredible to see how quickly he bounced back. Within ten minutes of being back at his Nana's, he was eating and wanting to run outside and check the egg boxes. And his hearing? Amazing. I didn't even have to turn around and look at him when talking to him in the car!

So proud of my Otto. What a trooper!

I'm also so thankful we live in a country where our children recieve such wonderful medical care, all free of cost. This operation will make such a difference to our lives! Cool as, NZ government, this is one thing you are winning at : )