Never having sewn clothing before, I decided to attempt the 'lazy days skirts' recently mentioned on Soulemama. The free pattern is available here, and is super easy and quick to make. I love the fact that the ribbon encases the hem... which means no fiddly hem to sew! Great for summer - which hopefully will be on it's way soon... the girls love...

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Should I be worried that my children love to run around with pieces of cloth tied around their heads? Should I be worried that while at the movies, Master 6 is more interested in a jaffa than the action scene? Should I be worried that my 1 year old says "oh maaaan!" when she is upset at things? Should I be worried... I...

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Just for a laugh I checked out http://www.yearbookyourself.com/ - and took the liberty of taking Mandrake and myself back to the past... check these out! Me in 1976 Me in 1966    Symon in 1976 Symon in 1964    ...

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I used to be in my primary school's Maori Culture Club... yes me... the only little blonde, blue eyed, white girl in the group. I absolutely loved it - especially the Poi. Anyway, I have always loved kete (Maori woven baskets) and recently spotted this beautiful 'Pacifica' fabric in a store. I decided that there was a special lady who may also like...

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My softie making friend Anya, from banban designs recently gifted me one of her awesome monkey creations Maggie. I jokingly sent her a photo of Maggie with her new "love" Square Guy. She emailed back suggesting that we each have a go at making them a baby. So here are our creations... they each take after their parents in some way. Heaps of...

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While one of our children's friends was visiting, we decided to get the kids to make their own pizza's for dinner. I set up a selection of toppings on the table and let the kids go crazy, using a pita bread pocket as their base. They had heaps of fun (so did we) and begged to make more afterwards. So easy to do...

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People have been hit hard lately with rising prices everywhere; petrol, groceries, power, home loan interest rates and property rates just to mention a few. When things get tough, I reckon the best thing to do is to be generous and give. Sounds crazy? I think it shows faith in God to provide. Psalm 112: 4-9 "Light shines in the darkness for the...

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I am currently in the process of selling my longboard... which is a bit of a sad occasion. Since having kids and the busy life that comes with a young family, I haven't been able to surf much for years. The good news is that it is getting sold to my dad, which means I can borrow it anytime I want (I hope?...

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Nine more little bunnies have been added to the shop (here) and are really hoping to find their own homes soon. My favourites would have to be Candi (pink checkered one) and Jansen (red russian doll fabric). Mandrakes favs are Jemimah (retro paisley one) and Brock (stripes). How about you? Speaking of fabrics, I just discovered a really great online fabric website that...

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I am so excited to tell you about my lovely friend's new blog... Banban Designs. Anya makes the cutest little monkey softies as well as other animals, along with cute baby sets (including a singlet, cuddly blanket and softie). You are so clever Anya! I love the different fabrics she uses and the cute little touches like Minty's pet rock (here). So checkout...

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Master 9 had a friend over for the afternoon, so we decided to all make Banana Splits at the table. Very interesting watching the different creations everyone made. I love seeing children get involved in food preparation. If you have fussy eaters, it is recommended that you get them involved in helping prepare the meals, and often you will find that they are...

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Nine little softies are nearly ready to go up for adoption in the shop. I know I said I was going to have a break from sewing them, but the last batch has just about disappeared, so I just had to make some more. I also recently made my first cushion! They are so easy to make and when I look at the...

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Dumb Thing Number 1 When I was young I had the cutest poster above my bed... little buzzy bee's flying around pretty flowers. It was held in place with four drawing pins. One night I couldn't get to sleep, so I decided to suck on one of the drawing pins for fun (I know, duh!). I accidently swallowed it and my fun little...

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I love coconut! I am still waiting for Tip Top to bring out "coconut icecream", as Symon told me he had some while in Fiji years ago.  Anyway, to fill the bottomless pits (male stomachs) around here, I seem to need to bake every few days... and this one is so easy and really yum! It has no butter or oil in it,...

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Yay - finally the rain has eased and the sun is shining. The past few months have seen constant rain in our region, and constant rain means wet, soggy lawns and 4 kids cooped up inside. It has been so good to see the kids playing outside in the trees again, on the trampoline and in the creek. Yesterday they found a few...

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Today I received a little package in the mail from a very special friend in Australia who makes the cutest monkey softies (among other things). Receiving a package in the mail in itself was very exciting, as usually it's Symon receiving packages of random items he has bought from Trademe when I'm not looking! I was so excited to find that she had...

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