A couple things baby!!

Tuesday, May 31, 2011
My car seat arrived in the post today. This is pretty exciting for me, and it is reassuring to have it in my hot little hands. Now I can feel comforted knowing that when the baby arrives, we will have a way to bring him home from the hospital.

The car seat we ended up choosing, was the Safe N Sound Meridian AHR. The reason for our choice was based on a number of factors: Firstly, the safety rating, it is the top rated (by RAC) convertible car seat: it gets 4 stars for rear and forward facing, this is a big deal to us. Also, it is a convertible, meaning it starts rear facing and then adapts to forward facing as the child grows. Saving us from buying a secondary car seat a few months down the track. I debated for a while about buying a capsule instead, you know one that you can remove from the car, I'm sure they are definitely handy, but I opted against it, especially seeing the pram/stroller that we are getting has a carry cot. Although, Joel has assured me that if I just feel like I NEED a capsule instead, then we will get one, but that decision can be made later.
Also, you can save so much money on this stuff by buying online. We saved over $100 on this alone, don't let the overpriced baby stores sucker you in.
I also decided on my cot bedding today!! Finally, I was able to find a design that I liked, at a price that was reasonable. The only problem being, of course that it is only available in the US of A, good thing I have a dear friend who is happy to ship things over here for me. Why are things so much cheaper over there, it is driving me batty.

This is the crib set by Dwell Studio, but a more affordable range that they designed for Target USA. I love it, so cute.

A City For People: New Embroidery

Monday, May 30, 2011
This embroidery is inspired by the Perth Airport. I remember noticing years ago whenever I flew into Perth, there was a sign that we drove past on our way out of the airport that said "Perth, a city for people". Every time we saw it I remember thinking and commenting, this is such a weird sign. What else would the city be for, maybe it could say "Perth, a city for dogs". It was just so obvious that a city is built for people. Well, I guess a lot of people must have commented on it and laughed about it and little old Perth, because this sign doesn't exist anymore. For those who remember that sign fondly, I hope you like this little piece. For those who missed out on ever seeing it, well, now you know what your missing out on if you haven't visited Perth. After all, it is A City For People!

5 Favourites Friday!

Thursday, May 26, 2011
Friday, Friday..


I just thought I would add the most annoying, ridiculously stupid, and lyrically the worst song I can think of to start off this 5 Favourites Friday. If you haven't heard it before, well then this will sure be a treat. If you have, well I think I just got it into your head for the rest of the weekend (yes, that was my plan).

Sticking with the musical theme, this week I am doing my 5 Favourite Songs that are on my Ipod right now. Like a lot of people I change the music I like to listen to a lot. I will listen to a few bands for ages, get sick of them for a few months, and then go back to them. So this is just the 5 songs that when I put my IPhone in the car or on the dock and had to choose 5 songs right now, this is what I would choose.


1. Slow Club : Christmas TV


I first heard this song when I was watching an episode of Chuck. I had to Shazam it, because I liked it so much and wanted to know who it was. I love their music...

2. City and Colour: The Girl


I just enjoy this song, as I do with most of City and Colour's music. Makes me a little sad, but it is sweet.

3. Spoon: The Underdog

Although this song was released in 2007, it is still one of my favourites to put on when I need a bit of an energy boost. I love driving and singing along to this song, Joel gets a little sick of it when he knows I am about to put the Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga album on AGAIN...I just can't help myself.

4. Mumford and Sons: The Cave


I think there is a bit of a theme emerging with the songs that I like. I only started really listening to Mumford a few months ago, yes a bit behind the 8 ball, but I don't claim to be any music guru, I leave that up to Joel.

5. Modest Mouse: Satellite Skin


I could possibly say that Modest Mouse is one of my favourite bands, if not my top number 1. I think I am just attracted to his voice.

Love to hear what your 5 favourites are, I am always listening out for new music that I like!!
Have a wonderful weekend! We will be ripping out our kitchen. Before and After photo's to come soon!

30 weeks and counting!

When we were away last week I got my lil bro to take a couple of pics of me, with my big ole baby belly. Lately I have been having a hard time getting pictures taken and actually liking what they look like, over critical maybe, and just feeling bigger and bigger. At the same time, this is such a special time for us that I really do want to document it as much as possible, even if I can see every extra kg on the picture... it is not really about that is it?

Here are a couple that he took, me at 30 weeks..
And a little silly one, because this is what I feel like sometimes!! haha
p.s. How nice is the background. This is from the balcony of the house we staying in in Cabarita Beach, just over those shrubs is the ocean.. gorgeous!

New Embroidery Pieces!

Monday, May 23, 2011
Here are a couple more embroidery pieces that I have just finished, that I wanted to share. They are a couple of my personal favourites so far. I think I will have to make duplicates, because these ones are for Upmarket, but I would really like to have these for my walls at home. I might make a massive deer head one to put above our fireplace!

I am busily trying to come up with new ideas and designs to keep pumping out the embroideries before Upmarket in June, and as it is only a month away, I do not have much time.

5 Favourites Friday!

Friday, May 20, 2011
It is that time of the week again! Yay for Friday, today it is stormy and raining, which is a nice change in Perth, we need the rain. What are your plans for the weekend? We will begin the first stages of our major renovating projects...more details to come, but I am very, very excited.
This week, I'm doing 5 favourite Australian clothing labels. I am not a fashionista by any stretch of the word, but I do like clothes, I especially like a good deal. I have a hard time bringing myself to spend too much money on clothes. It just ain't worth it..to me anyway. Not that I can really wear a lot of this stuff now, soon enough!! Can't wait!

1) Friends of Couture


2) MinkPink

3) Insight

4) Rodeo Show

5) Joel's vote is Deus..so I thought I would add something for the boys!
Just doing this post makes me excited to be able to fit into normal people clothes again! I think there might be some shopping awaiting me soon!

Have a fabulous weekend!!

Holidays at Cabarita...

Thursday, May 19, 2011
I have been m.i.a for the last week, but there is a very good reason for it. We were living it up at Cabarita Beach in Northern NSW, on a family holiday. Our very last holiday before bubba gets here, in a mind boggling short 10 weeks...give or take. I will post more pictures soon.


This week Joel got pretty spoiled. He got his very first Surfboard, with a custom spray job. Even though I grew up surfing and most of my family surf, Joel just didn't have the opportunity to get into it until now. My older brother Brett, who lives in Cabarita Beach, is a Surfboard artist. He does amazing custom paint jobs on surfboards as a job. Talk about dream job... he is doing what he is good at and passionate about He procured a 7'6" board for Joel to learn how to surf on, but what is really cool about it is that the design he put on it, matches Joel's skeleton tattoo on his leg.
So cool right! Joel has everything he needs now, and is pretty keen to spend his weekends learning to surf. I am more than fine with that, and once I have the baby and can lie on my stomach again, I think I might have to pull my board out too.

Here are some more examples of the awesome spray jobs my brother has done. This image was taken from his website www.mkbn.com.au there are plenty more there, so take a look.

A little something I made for my Mum!

Sunday, May 8, 2011
A little something I made for my Mumma on Mother's Day...
My Mum is one of the most generous and loving people I know. Plus I love her a lot, she is one of my best friends! She has been such a dedicated Mum to us, and still goes over and above anything I would expect from her, all the time. I didn't always appreciate my Mum like I do now, but spending about 7 years away from family, really makes me understand what I was missing out on.

5 Favourites Friday!

Friday, May 6, 2011
I love watching musicals, so this weeks 5 Favourites, are my favourite Musical Films. Unfortunately I haven't had much opportunity to see that many live. I would love to see more. There is something that makes me really happy about groups of people spontaniously errupting in song. I guess I wish that happened more in real life!

Cry Baby
I cannot tell you how many times I have watched this movie. Johnny Depp is so great. The movie is weird, I will admit it. Kinda crazy and funny, but it sure is entertaining. Even Ricki Lake is in it. One of the female characters has the name, Hatchet Face... that might say it all about this movie.

Hairspray
I really loved the original movie that was made in 1988 when I was young, another one directed by John Waters. Then when the new version came out in 2007, oh I was hooked. The songs and the style of the 60's are so great. In the new one, I pretty much really love John Travolta, playing the part of an obese woman, and married to Christopher Walkin... can't really beat that.

My Fair Lady

I need to watch this again, in my memory it was great. "The rain in spain falls mainly on the plain". As it stars Audrey Hepburn playing the wonderful Eliza Doolittle it is kinda hard to beat

Grease
Well it is the cliche quintessential movie musical, but what can I say, I am a sucker for Travolta and Newton-John. I especially loved that the movie was about a young shy Australian girl living in America. Wow.. so exotic, haha. There is a reason this movie has stood the test of time, and is still so loved. Every girl I think wants to have the "Sandy" transformation. I remember playing my parents Grease soundtrack record over and over!
Rocky Horror Picture Show
This is one that I actually have seen live. I have also watched the movie a zillion times. Embarrassing confession, but when I was about 10 or 11 I was a big fan of the artist Meatloaf. To the point that when my keyboard teacher offered to teach me the Smashing Pumpkins, I said I would rather learn "I would do anything for Love, but I wont do that". I can still play it.
Meatloaf plays a very small role in this movie, is the link. It is weird and wacky and slightly insane, maybe it just appeals to the bit of Crazy in all of us. I was pretty stoked when Glee did a Rocky Horror episode!

I would love to hear what your favourite musical movies are.. this makes me wish so bad I could sing, and want to spend the weekend watching musicals!

D.I.Y Recipe Folder

Tuesday, May 3, 2011
A while ago I was browsing the stores for a recipe folder to keep all of my recipes that I print off the internet, because I just have all these loose papers stuffed into another recipe book, and it is not very helpful when coming to find the recipes I want quickly.

I found one that I really liked, but the price tag was $40.. for a clear plastic folder and some divider pages. No way, I could totally make this for so much cheaper. So, I did, and you can to.


(This is one I made a while back for a family member!!)

What You Need:
1 x folder (I used clear plastic, but I really love the look of the recycled cardboard folders, easier to decorate too)
8 x scrapbook paper, or A4 double sided coloured card for dividers
2 x coloured card for front of folder
Download picture from my Flickr to add to your dividing sheets
16 x brads
double sided sticky tape
A Printer
Alphabet Stickers
Hole Punch
Clear plastic sleeves


You can really start anywhere you want, and it is really simple

First I cut my scrapbook paper down to a size that will fit through my printer (A4 works), and then printed pictures I had drawn and scanned in on the top of each segment page (available on my Flickr page for you to Download and use HERE) I wanted. Feel free to download mine, if you want, they aren't fantastic but they do the trick, or you can always draw your own if so inclined.
My segments are divided into and the pictures I used:
1. Entree (watermelon pic)
2. Soup (soup bowl pic)
3. Vegetarian (pumpkin & carrots)
4. Fish (fish guy pic)
5. Chicken (drumstick pic)
6. Meat (burger pic)
7. Pasta (spaghetti pic)
8. Dessert (cake pic)

After they were cut to the right size, with the designs printed on. I then made the little tabs to attach to the top. They can be any size that you want, but they need to be placed high enough you can see them, and spaced so you can so that you can just grab a tab and flick through.
I used my Cricut Create to cut the letters out of sticky contact paper. Obviously, I know that not many people have a Cricut, so you can just use small alphabet letters. Or if you have cool handwriting you can put them in yourself, or even print them on, the ideas are endless.

Once they were made, and the letters were stuck on, I then attached them to the top of each divider with two brads. I chose little black star ones that I already had. All you have to do now is punch holes in them (2 or 3 depending on the sort of file you have).

For the actual folder itself. I chose the words "Our Recipes" to stick on the spine. Then the same on the front. Then I chose 9 of the drawings and printed them out on different coloured scrapbook card and attached them to the front of the folder with clear double sided sticky tape.
Now the folder is complete. It just comes to putting recipes in. Yay, nearly done.
I made a simple recipe sheet that can be downloaded here : RECIPE page so that if you have handwritten recipes you would like to put in, you can just re-write them out on these and stick them in your folder. If you have print outs, I just slide them into clear sheets and place them in the segment they belong.

The directions part goes for a lot longer than this, I just wanted a close up photo of the top!

I hope this inspires you to start creating! Hopefully now my recipes will be a bit more organized.

xx Karen

Today Marks beginning of Third Trimester

Monday, May 2, 2011
Well, I have been a bit off my game lately. I know, I didn't do my 5 Favourites this week. Next week I promise!! I had an assignment due in today so last week and the weekend I was busy stressing and writing.

Today marks 27 weeks! Which also marks the beginning of my 3rd Trimester! Woah. I am feeling bigger and heavier, and not as agile!! I showed Joel a list of all the things we still need to get to prep for Baby W.. bad idea, I think it kinda stressed him out. It is all becoming very, very real! The first two trimesters feel like they have just gone by so fast, it is hard to believe we are in the final stint.