too market...

And my big news is.....I'm doing a market!! Yes a real life one!! Here in Darwin!! So exciting and a little scary!!

What if people don't like my stuff? What if people don't like me? What if people like me and not my stuff? What if they like my stuff and not me?

What if I don't sell a thing!? What if I sell out!? Ahhhhhhh!!

But I'm doing it anyway :)

So, details!

Christmas Craft Fair

Extravaganza!

held in the

AIR CONDITIONED
MARRARA INDOOR STADIUM

Abala Road, Marrara

(near Darwin Airport)

Saturday 4th & Sunday 5th

December 2010

9am to 4pm both days

Over 80 stalls of locally handmade

quality arts and crafts

$2 entry for adults, children free

Food and drink available

Lucky door prize both days

And the bestest bit?! I'm sharing the stall with Mel from Six Little Hearts!! YAY!!

Mel makes super cute kids clothes. We have already had a blast fabric shopping and planning. Although there does need to be A LOT more sewing!!

So tell your friends! Come and see Mel and I in real life!! Buy some fabulous handmade lovelies!

I'll have bags, drawing wraps, little pouches just to name a few!

Pictures to come later. Once I've sewn stuff lol! xox

Blogtoberless

Blogtoberfest?! More like blogtoberless lol! I crack me up ;)

So long time no post! Ms Copper Patch and I had a wonderful time. Lots of talk, laughing, sewing and shopping!!

Boy one took quite a shine to her :)

Abbe named a hill. This shall now be known as Abbe's Pimple!

She is pregnant you know so there was no silly business. Well, none on the wine induced kind ;)

Gosh she is a messy chick!

But very handy to have around! 3 quilt tops made ready for me to quilt :)

And Ab's even folded up my washing for me!! A big job indeed! Hoping I can return her the favour once baby CP arrives! Squeal! I love babies :)

We also took a drive out to Kirsty's. I wanted to show Abbe's her gorgeous work. Plus her very territory house complete with fabulous outside shower and loo!

 I just love her style and use of colour! Very clever chick :)

Beautiful quilt made by Melissa for Kirsty's 40th earlier in the year

Everywhere you look, there is something wonderfully bright and hand made :)

Thank you Ms Copper Patch for coming all this way to hang with me and my crew. You are super star that will be one totally awesome mummy! I miss you already

So as you can see I have had a tone of stuff to blog about. Just, you know, real life and all that.

And I have some exciting news too!! I will share tomorrow, promise xox



silver lining

After the fire, many of you already know, I had to replace ALL of my Tupperware.

Yes. ALL of it.

It was a hard job ;)

My happy place :D
And no, it didn't look anything like that pre fire!
Almost worth the drama. Almost xox

one

One more sleep until Ms CP is here!!!!

WOOOHOOOOOO!!!!

She's up the duff you know {big happy I love babies face}!



And she is bring me a whooooooole lot of fabric!!!!

Oh I do love her teehee xox

swap follow up

Good news! My DQS9 made it safe and sound! Yay!

Pop over here to see it!!

I have also received my Urban home goods swap. Actually, I received it weeks ago but haven't had the chance to blog it ;)

I love it all! So lucky!!

Sewing machine cover :)

Super sized pin cushion and dish cloth

And also 4 coasters which I forgot to get a photo of lol! I try and remember to do it later.

Thanks to all the swap organises. It is so lovely to be apart of these swaps. Really lovely community feel about it :)

oh and 2 more sleeps until my visitor is here!!!!! WOOOHOOOOO!!! xox

my creastive space

I made muffins! First time I have baked since being home! Yay!

Mango and white chocolate. YUM!

I kinda used this recipe. Kinda. Left out the banana. My visitors enjoyed them.

Also have had some fabric arrive this week.

Some from retromummy. My husband now refers to Corrie as my 'dealer' ;)

And some wonderful hand printed aussie made from Yardage.

I couldn't resist her tea towel either ;)

More spaces over here xox

self portrait for blogtoberfest

 

Yep! Thats me! Waving 'hi!' No make-up. No editing. Taken just now as I sit here blogging.

Keepin' it real people xox

blog friends

Yes. I made more blogland friends into too real life ones!

A few weeks ago I meet up with Kirsty and Melissa. Sisters in stitching and in real life.

Melissa has a lovely home full of wonderful hand made things

Including these lovelies

Isn't Melissa clever!? So gorgeous!

We had a lovely home grown lunch. It was so wonderful to share time with ladies that sew and craft. There is soming super special about crafty bloggers don't you think?!

I'm so excited that these two lovely ladies are coming to my house tomorrow for lunch! Yay! Although I can guarantee that there will be no made beds and clean rooms.

life and stuff

It appears I missed a blogtoberfest day. 

It is a marathon not a sprint and it appears I was very quick out of the blocks.

Life, you know, has away of toying with you....

One minute you are sure and confident in the path you are taking....

...and the next thing you know, you are thinking of changing direction...

Luckily I have little lady burrito to help me unwind at the end for the day 

random stuff

Did you know this month has 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays and 5 Sundays?!

And tomorrow is the 10/10/10!

Cool hey!!

And my lovely friend Jacquie from Zippy Zippy is taking $10 off her Santa Sack's to celebrate! Woohooo!!

But you better hurry! They are only on sale until, you guessed it, 10pm tomorrow ;)

More details here. And while you are at it, check out her madeit shop and her totally awesome lost sock keepers!

No Jacquie doesn't pay me to say nice shit about her. I do because she really is awesome. And I'm hoping that she will give me free stuff ;) Make sure you tell her I sent you so I can hit her up for some {joking}

Thank you :)

Thank you!

I was so worried about blogging a little of my story. I have been thinking about it for ages. It was a really hard thing for me to say 'out loud'. Not many people in my current life know. So to make it really public is a big thing.

So thank you all for you kind comments, emails, tweets and facebook messages. I am a little overwhelmed at your kindness and understanding. Thank you :)

In other news, hubby has finished up at his job he has had for 3 1/2 years. Thanks a long time in mining. And a long time for us. Next week we start a new adventure in residential, campaign based work. So instead of being away 2/3's of the year it is likely to be less then 1/2! Ekkkk!!

Mmmmmm what shall I do with this extra time......!!! xox

R U OK?

Today is R U OK? Day

Whats that? Glad you asked :) It's a national day of action that aims to prevent suicide. Simply by taking the time to chat and connect with people you care about. To help stop little problems become big ones.


Why? Up to 65,000 Australian attempt to take their lives every year

In 1998, I was one of them.

I tried to end my life. And I almost succeed.

I'm not tell you all this for any other reason then, you just don't know how someone is, unless you ask.

Would you have guessed that I have depression? That for me it's like diabetes. I will always be medicated and always require extra love and support of those around me. And that I am lucky I didn't die. Very lucky. I know that now. I am SO lucky.

I have support. I have wonderful friends. I have an amazing family. I know I can pick up the phone and say I'm not ok, please help me, and they will all be there.

My husband. An incredible man that has cared for me at times where the black has swallowed me up. When I couldn't function. Where I couldn't get out of bed. He has had to be completely selfless. And words can't describe how extraordinary his love is. I completely adore him. And trust him with my life.

So. Why not take the time to check out this site, and ask someone close to you R U OK? You will never know unless you ask....

So my dear friends, R U OK? xox

Mary Poppins :)

I love Mary Poppins. 

In fact my whole family loves her. As kids we had to tell my brother Mary Poppins died so he would stop watching it. 

We were nice sisters like that.

You know there is a musical right? Of course you do!

Well mum has 2 tickets she is trying to off load this for this weekend in Melbourne. Interested? Email me :) She is happy to sell them at a discount too. Because she'd nice like that.

biancajwood(at)hotmail(dot)com

xox

edit - tickets are now gone. Thanks guys! I'm sure the lucky 2 will have a wonderful time

When life gives you lemons...

....buy an over locker!

A complete splurge post fire. Simply because :)

Hope you are all having a good week xox

I suck!

Like, totally.

See I signed up....late...for The Down Under Doll Quilt Swap. And convinced Ms CP to join me. Consequently we got each other as swap partners. Which, has been a load of fun because we are mates and she is cool! 

However......

Agreement was we were to post our quilts on the same day to see who got there's first. Abbe posted hers......and I....did.....not.

So now, this fabulous perfect TOTALLY LOVE IT little dolls quilt is here at my house and Abbe's quilt....is...ummmm...well...here too...

See, told you, I suck xox

Please note my dear beautiful friend Abbe who is the stitching and quilting queen (sucking up now) that yours is going in the post, express, first thing in the morning. Pinky swear xox

build up

It's here. 

The time of year after the dry and before the wet. 

Where it's hot, humid and down right horrid.

The plus side is the amazing storms!

My brother took this while he was here. Isn't it amazing! 

I asked him very nicely to get me some curry while he was at the Mindil Markets. This storm literally rolled in while they were getting my tea. And them they got wet, really wet lol!! He's a keeper :) xox

do you garden?

Years ago we did. When the 2 big girls were little and we lived down south. We had an awesome veggie patch out the back. We had so many tomatoes I ended up pulling them out in June. It was a good year. And zucchinis! I love zucchinis. Especially Zippy Zippy's zucchini soup. YUM!!

Now, easy to grow, can't kill kind of garden.

And a gardener.....I love my gardener

I do, however know of this awesome veggie patch, over at Zippy Zippy's house. 

For the last few months they have been taking part in the kinder gardens. And now Jacquie and her boys have been short listed for the readers choice award!! Yay!! So please pop on over there and vote for them!! The poll is on the right hand side, one click and your done! Yay!

And if you don't believe me that they have the most AWESOME veggie patch pop on over to Zippy Zippy's and check it out for yourself! Truly inspirational!  xox

did someone say 20% off?

Oh yes they did! Spotlight had 20% off Thursday-Friday. And with my brother here and happy to watch the kidlets, off I went! Hey, I'm still restocking! Don't judge me ;)

Along with loads of boring purchases like interfacing, thread, magic blue markers etc I found these fabric sorters...

So I thought I'd give them ago!

Pretty cool I reckon. Only thing is I tend to buy 1/2m or fat 1/4 and they are really too big for those. Guess I'll have to buy bigger cuts :) {joking hubby!}

And the fabric on the very left is a fake Liberty of London. All 4 1/2m of it, purchased with 20%, of course ;)

I also got fabric for ice cream dresses for the 2 youngest girls

The purple for Miss 7 and the pink and blue for Miss 2 :) I have plenty so thinking skirts too. Plus after Kate and Mel's post and tweets on the Molly Dress I thought I too would give it ago. Best thing about this pattern is it's a download and it comes in heaps of sizes.

And they also a grown up size too!! Did someone say matchy matchy ;)

Only problem is.....I have no elastic!! Guess I'll have to go back then ;) xox

DQS9 received and I LOVE IT!!!

I have my Doll Quilt Swap 9!!

And I LOVE IT!!

I love the colours! 

I love love LOVE Lecien's Flower Sugar range. I have it all in my stash (oooops!)

I love that it is 3D! How cool is that?!

Like I said, I LOVE IT!!

Thanks so much to Sweettea Mom for my wonderful quilt! And thanks to all the mama's that organise this international swap! It has been loads of fun :)

On a side note, mine has not made it to it's destination yet :( Really freaking out. Lucky I paid extra for registered post. Will be on the phone first thing Monday morning tracking it down. Auspost wed site says no item found ekkkk!! xox