baby sock bouquet

In February alone, I have nine friends expecting lil' ones. Yes, nine! And much to my delight, this has given me a reason to do all the things I love... shop, sew, craft and make cards! 

For the first lil' one I wanted to buy a sock bouquet to add to the rest of her gifts, but was shocked when I noticed they sold for $35-60 and used only cheap quality items. So I thought I could try one myself using some good quality Pumpkin Patch and Bonds Bamboo cuff socks. How hard could they really be? To answer, not hard at all! It took less than 10 minutes and I think it looks pretty close to the professional bouquet's you would order online!

To try it yourself, all you need is at least five pairs of socks, booties or mittens. Roll them into a bud and secure the  bottom of the roll with a small elastic band. I didn't have florist's wire so for the next step, I used small wooden skewers and inserted them into the roll. Wrap the bouquet in your favourite wrap, add some satin leaves and you're done!

Then add a personalised card...

And wrap the rest of the gift in coordinating colors, and you're done!

Now, onto the next gift...

Michelle xx

homemade flatbread

I am totally addicted to making this flatbread at the moment! It's from Donna Hay's A Cook's Guide and it's the quickest and easiest flatbread I've ever made. If you'd like to try it but don't have this cookbook, I've added the recipe to this post so you can enjoy yummy hot flatbread too!

You will need:

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1 teaspoon caster sugar

1 1/3 cups lukewarm milk

2 1/2 cups plain flour

1 teaspoon table salt

1 tablespoon olive oil and extra for brushing

sea salt for sprinkling

Place the yeast, caster sugar and milk in a bowl and mix to combine. Set aside in a warm place for 5 minutes or until bubbles appear on the surface.

Place the flour, table salt, oil and yeast mixture in a bowl and mix until a smooth dough forms. Turn the dough onto the bench or a lightly floured board and knead for 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Add extra flour to the dough if it is sticky. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with a tea towel and set aside in a warm place for 30 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size. 

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Press the dough into a lightly greased slice tray, brush with oil and sprinkle with salt (at this step I also add freshly minced garlic).  I've also tried this flatbread with fresh rosemary and parmesan or olives - equally as delicious! 

Bake for 15-25 minutes (depending on your oven) or until golden brown.

Serve hot or gather your favourite fillings and make yourself a Mediterranean focaccia. My absolute favourite combination at the moment is roasted capsicum, feta and slices of fresh mushrooms, red and green capsicum and red onion, toasted in the sandwich press. Try it, you wont be disappointed!!

I'm off to enjoy the rest of my lazy Sunday! 

Bye for now...

Michelle xx

handmade cards - they don't get simpler than this!

I've shared some simple handmade cards in the past, but this next set of cards are even easier! Better yet, they were made using materials destined for landfill! I used small leftover pieces of blue spotted wrapping paper and glued these onto white cardstock. Then for the butterfly embellishments... these were salvaged from my ma's - cut out from a card pillow box her pj's came in! I added a pearl here and there and they were done! 

 

Next time you think about making a card of your own, have a look around your house first. You'd be surprised at what you might find and what you could create with lil' bits and pieces found around your home! 

Happy cardmaking!

Michelle xx

a gift for lil' cupcake

I attended a baby shower this weekend for mummy-to-be Michelle, who loves all things cupcake. Of course I followed the cupcake theme, and this is what I made to celebrate the coming arrival of lil' cupcake:

A cupcake onesie - I used spotted pink corduroy fabric to make the cupcake pan and then gathered and sewed lace onto the onesie to resemble cupcake icing. I added a lil' bow and it was done... easy as that!

Stretch headband - I used stretch lace for the headband and then gathered some pink lace into a rosette. I added a pearl to the rosette and hand sewed it to the headband.

Sock cupcakes - I used 4 pairs of Bonds Bamboo cuff socks and interchanged them so there was a glimpse of white and pink in each cupcake. I think they're perfect for a cupcake themed baby shower!

I think they look so cute together!

Cupcake card - I used the corduroy remnants from the onesie and sewed a cupcake onto plain white cardstock. Simple yet effective. 

Wrapping - I had intended to use pale pink ribbon but out of the hundreds of ribbons in my drawer... not one in pale pink! I had to turn to Plan B - I used the corduroy remnants from the onesie and sewed 2 straight lines down the length of the fabric. I pulled the thread at each end and voila, instant ruffles. I'm so glad I didn't have any ribbon because I think this looks so much cuter!

So there it is, a little handmade addition to Michelle's baby shower! It was a lovely afternoon and I loved all of her handmade touches too!

Michelle xx

winnie the pooh party

Before you read on and question "Hang on, I thought you were a Social Worker?!?" I should let you in on a little secret... I'm a Social Worker by day and a secret wanna-be Event Stylist by night! 

With my secret exposed, I thought I'd share with you one of my favourite recent briefs. A gorgeous lil' man was turning 1 and his party was themed around his favourite character, Winnie the Pooh. With brief in hand, this is what I created:

A couple of dozen handmade cupcake toppers...

The handmade personalised sign and the candy table...

'Piglets strawberries n' cream' and 'hunny bears' (honey gummy bears)...

'Meringue hives' (lemon flavoured meringues) and 'Tigger's red balloons' (jaffa's)...

What bear doesn't love 'hunny joys'...

And I would never style a party without my signature Oreo pops...

Lemon cupcakes with the handmade cupcake toppers and strawberry flavoured jelly in Winnie the Pooh themed paper cups...

Personalised giant lollipops...

And a matching card...

And present, for the gorgeous lil' birthday boy...

Happy Birthday Dimitri - I hope you loved your candy table as much as the adults did!

Michelle xx

loving these december buys!

Admittedly, I have done far too much shopping this month! There were the Christmas gifts, the baby gifts, the gifts for all of the parties in December and January, the Boxing Day sales and of course, a few buys for yours truly. Now I'd love to share them all, but some of my favourite buys have yet to be gifted, so they'll stay under wraps for now! But take a look at some of my other favourite buys and gifts I received over Christmas:

Decorative berry branches - These wooden branches don't look like much now, but wait until you see what I have in store for these (check the blog later this month!). I bought these from Supply and Demand - my new favourite store! They stock excess homewares and decorator items from stores such as Adairs, Bed Bath and Table, Freedom, etc., and I just can't get enough of it! And best of all, they're cheap!

Sunbeam SmartBake - I finally got a bread maker!! I made my first organic wholegrain loaf over a year ago in protest against the $9 loaves I was buying from my health food store. Even though my loaves tasted so much better (and cheaper!), I hated the mess and the time it took kneading and repeatedly checking the dough as it rose. But this lil' baby means no more kneading, no more rise checks and no more mess! And it makes pasta dough and jam too! With all of this yummy bread I'll be baking, I secretly wonder whether my man bought this to benefit me or him?? hehe

Ceramic pie weights - If you enjoy baking like me, do yourself and the earth a favor and buy yourself some ceramic pie weights. They'll last forever and eliminate the waste involved in using new rice or beans each time you need to blind bake your pastry. My lovely sister must have read my letter to Santa because she added these and the Donna Hay Christmas magazine to my Christmas gift... Now I can't wait to start baking!

Glasshouse candle - I received this Christmas edition but I have loved the Glasshouse range of candles for years now... especially the caramel scented candle! These candles are made from non-toxic wax and all natural lead-free cotton wicks, so they're good for you and the environment. I've seen these at Bibelo and Peter Alexander, or check your local stockist on the Glasshouse website.

T2 Relax - Such a gorgeous mix of chamomile, juniper berries, flowers (hibiscus, lavender, rose petals), vervain leaves and lemongrass... I'm already addicted! Get some for yourself at T2.  

The Big Bang Theory Season 4 - I'm not a big TV fan but I absolutely love finding a great series and snuggling up for a few solid hours. My newest TV crush is the Big Bang Theory - An American sitcom based on the contrast between geeky and socially awkward friends Leonard, Sheldon, Raj and Howard and their beautiful neighbour Penny. If you haven't watched it before, grab yourself a copy or borrow mine... it'll have you in stitches!

Leather Journal - Last, but certainly not least, my new gratitude journal. Yes, 2011 was beautiful in many ways but it also brought many challenging moments and decisions. And although I am deeply grateful for all of the blessings in my life, it can be difficult remembering all I am grateful for during the difficult times. So as a constant (grounding) reminder, I really hope I take the time to jot down all of the small things I am grateful for each day. Why not do the same for yourself?

Michelle xx 

saying goodbye to 2011

2011 has been an extremely busy year - I could say I blinked and it was practically over, but the long work days, late nights, nonstop weekends, fluctuating health and sad goodbyes would tell a very different story. Yes, it was certainly a difficult year for many reasons but it also brought so many beautiful moments I will treasure for a lifetime. No frills family time when we needed it the most. Time away for no other reason than to rest and rejuvenate. My first adventure overseas. New friends. New hobbies and challenges. The birth of many precious lil' ones. Baring witness to humbling joy in the lives of my dearest family and friends. Greater self awareness. Deeper love. Indeed, I have been so very blessed in so many ways.

But now 2012 is upon us. So what do I wish for in this new year? If you know me well, you may say I need to slow down in 2012. Take time out for me. Learn to say "no" more often. But really, what sort of a life would that be? Sure I could go back to a more conventional way of living, but that would mean time meant more than quality of life. I could cut back at work, but that would mean one less person whose life I have made a difference and one fewer lesson I have learned in the process. I could entertain and be entertained less, but that would mean I'd miss out on the laughter, the tears, the deep and meaningfuls and the potential for many new beautiful memories. I could reduce the time I put into handmade gifts and cards and the events that come along with them, but that would mean I wouldn't be sharing in those precious moments that can only be had with wonderful family and friends. 

No, I certainly will not be slowing down in 2012 (5 parties/functions in the first weekend of January definitely proves that!). My wish for 2012 - for there to be many more of these beautiful moments. For my dear family and friends to be blessed with gratitude, love, happiness, contentment, wonderful new experiences, good health and God's grace. For us to learn from 2011 and thrive in 2012. For life to be just as it is meant to be.

Michelle xx

christmas eve lil' feet style

Christmas Eve dinner at my house... It was so lovely having everyone together, eating and being merry! And I survived - albeit with a few heart palpitation's, a chocolate stained sofa and so much food it'll take a whole year to work off!

Now with the last of the family gone, I thought I'd share some pics of Christmas Eve at my place... lil' feet style!

  

 

  
The table is almost done and I realise we need another table to fit everyone else! Oh my, of all the Christmas lists, I not once stopped to think whether I had enough room or enough tableware for everyone! To my dismay, I had to set up in both the dining and lounge rooms AND shock horror... another (not matching) dinner set!

In between setting up the dinner buffet and carving the roasts, the heat got to me a little so I retreated under the cooling vent... therefore no photo's of the dinner but, take a look at the sweets!

Some lavender cupcakes and Croatian walnut crescents from my lovely mum...

And as I mentioned in my earlier post today, a mountain of yummy sweets from the Queen of Sweets - my beautiful and talented sister Kat...

And her mouth watering Nutella tiramisu...

And when Kat asked what sweet I wanted this Christmas, and I replied 'scones!', I never thought she'd bake them immediately after dinner! Oh my goodness, hot scones with fresh jam and cream... my sis, she is just amazing!

So there's a glimpse of Christmas Eve dinner at my place! Now, I'd love to stay and chat but I think I may need to roll into bed before doing it all again tomorrow!

PS. Don't leave any milk and cookies out for Santa because he's got all of my leftovers to get through! 

Michelle xx

and the christmas baking continues!

It's Christmas Eve and I'm thrilled to have all of my family over for dinner tonight. The house is finally clean, the decorations are glistening, the sides are almost done and the roasts are about to hit the oven. Now for the sweets... Thankfully my lovely sister (the queen of sweets) will be making the majority of the sweets but I thought I'd add my signature Oreo Pops... but with a twist!

Oreo Pop puddings! And since my family aren't pudding fans, I think these will go down a treat!

Michelle xx