Before

Very much looking forward to posting the after photos of our laundry.

Frenchy window

When we travelled to Paris I saw so many window boxes overflowing with geraniums. I loved the color of the flowers and the big round leaves. My window box is a little work in progress. But I love it all the same.

Update on crappo project

The good news is that the stupid window shade did eventually get finished. I threw a bit of a tanty (blaming it on the pregnancy hormones - not the bad measuring) so engineer husband stepped in and saved the day.
The second piece of good news is that the shade blocks out all that 5am sun. So no more waking up to sun in the eyes.
Later this week I'll show you a really good craft project.

Almost a year goes by

Last year I mentioned a craft project that took me to hell and back. Well it has taken me 10 months to post the pics of this little ditty.
Our bedroom has a small window that is quite high and faces east. In the morning, the sun shines through the frosted glass and tends to wake me up. I don't like a light room. So I decided to do a quick crafty fix. I wanted to make a blind for the window and I thought it would take me an hour or so to whip up....HA. The craft gods were not smiling at me that day.
A seemingly simple (too simple) process:

• measure window
• measure fabric and blockout
• sew fabric to blockout
• insert wooden rod
• hang

First I measured wrong (how??), I cut the incorrect amount of fabric (of course, I only had JUST enough fabric in the first place). Then I cleverly thought that I'd use viseoflex to stick the fabric to the blockout - yes, I thought, that will save me pinning it. Well that did not work. At all. I had bits that were stuck on, bits that were bubbling, bits that couldn't be unstuck. GRRRR.

Ripper Christmas

This Christmas was lovely. It was our first Christmas as a family of four. It was a really special time and great to spend it with our loved ones.

Boy #1 is 2.5 so is now plenty old enough to know what all the fuss is about. Although, he is a bit afraid of the big man in the red suit. He strictly told me that 'Santa is not allowed in my house Mum.' And then instructed me that the protocol would be as follows:

• Santa to ride up our street on the sleigh
• Reindeers eat the food that we left out for them on the driveway
• I meet Santa on the footpath and tell him what good boys I have
• Santa to hand over the gifts to me and I must take them inside and put them safely under the tree

Everything went to plan and Santa delivered two lovely gifts for each of the boys. Alas, boy #1 did not get the Lightening McQueen skateboard that he'd be hankering for. Santa said he was a bit little for that this year (but was quick to add that boy #1 is a VERY BIG boy).

Boy #2 is not so big, only 8 weeks old at Christmas. He still had a great day and much to boy #1's delight, Santa delivered #2 a Percy of his very own.

This year the Mr delivered. Big time. He took boy #1 on a journey across town and bought me a beautiful salad bowl and salad servers. Very very spoilt. The bowl is pictured above with a lonely grapefruit from the market. The macro pic is my favourite section of the bowl.

Want to know a sure fire way to get more salads into your diet? Buy yourself a gorgeous salad bowl.

To market

Depsite the hot weekend, we decided to spend Saturday morning at the farm. Boy #1 is obsessed with 'clip clops' (horses, donkeys, ponies - you get the picture) so we bundled both boys into a hot car and went in search of said clip clops.

The farmer's market was on and for those of you who haven't checked this market out - it is well worth a visit. The fresh produce is beautiful, heaps of organic stuff and lovely stall holders (who must have melted, it was so bloody hot). We bought some delicious oranges, grapefruit, peaches, nectarines, falafel, honey and icy poles.

Back to the horses: after our market sojourn, we discovered that the farmers had put the clip clops in a different location that was just too far to walk in 36 degree heat with two babes. Of course we couldn't tell that to the boy so instead I did what any good mother would do - I lied. Those clip clops had gone to the beach for a swim in the hot weather. Yes they had.

Hot days, warm nights

image from www.alwaysmod.com

It is going to be 43 degrees in Melbs today - too hot to do anything except sit on the couch and whinge about the heat.
In more crafty news: I'm thinking about my next big project. My sister just got engaged (!) and I want to make her and her hubby-to-be a quilt. I'm struggling to pick a pattern that will stand the test of time. This will be their wedding present and I don't want them to look at it in a few years and think 'Oh gawd! How 2010 is that?!'
She recently bought this beautiful Marimekko fabric and plans to turn it into a spot of wall art. So I'm thinking that I'll use Scandinavian-esque fabrics in the quilt. Anyone out there with some good ideas for a pattern, please let me know! I'm keen to get cracking on this project, the sooner I decide on the pattern, the sooner I can shop for fabrics...