Play-D'oh!

For someone with a Greek heritage who grew up living and breathing food and cooking, it never ceases to amaze me how easy I find it to mess up even the simplest recipes, like playdough.

Granted, this recipe isn’t meant to be consumed, but it still involves a kitchen, edible ingredients and cooking, not to mention a fool-proof recipe off the back of the MacKenzie’s Cream of Tartar box (that's the recipe I used, in case there are any other playdough novices out there, apart from me!).  Nevertheless, I still managed to mess it up.

I’ve been racking my brain for relatively mischief-free activities that I can have ready to entertain the Rosebud.  (We have changed her middle name to Mischief because of all the little misadventures she’s been having lately, like drawing with red lipstick on Mumma’s light beige carpet, for example.)

This was my first encounter with playdough since I was a kid (Rosie's first encounter too.  And you always have to taste something you've never seen before!).  

Check out the tongue, and the little string of spit hanging off it :)

My first attempt at making it ended up straight in the bin, hence this post’s title.  As with many of my spur-of-the-moment endeavours I embarked on the journey before actually ensuring I had all the necessary ingredients.  Instead of normal cooking salt I only had rock salt, which I attempted to use thinking it would dissolve in the cooking process.  Right? 

Wrong.  Needless to say it wasn’t a great outcome – Rosie’s hands would have been torn to shreds had I actually given it to her.

"So Mum, it's important you come from a really high angle, okay..."

 I did persevere and give it another go with the correct ingredients and it worked out just fine. I used olive oil and that must have been what my Mum used when I was a kid because as soon as I smelt it I was immediately taken back to my childhood.  I can remember how hot it was when it first came out of the pot, and the smell of the salt and oil combined, and how my hands went all dry after playing with it for a while.  It’s amazing how much of an impression smells and textures leave on you.

So, the playdough activity lasted about 15 minutes until someone decided she would rather throw it on the floor and say “Uh-oh”, expecting Mum to pick it up.  It’s a fun game, that one.  Picture a blank look on my face.  

Other than that, I would say it was a success.

X
:)

Olives. O love 'em. Ol' of 'em.

Translation:  Olives.  I love ‘em.  All of ‘em.  It’s a silly little saying my husband pulls out around olives, and which has absolutely no relation to the actual topic of this post, that being Oliver + S! 

If you are a sewer (read sew-er as in fabric etc, not poo.  How pitiful the English language can be!!) with small children and have never come across these patterns then I am about to blow your mind!  Yep, blow your mind :) If you already know about these patterns and have sewn with them, then I’d say I’m probably preaching to the converted.  But that's never stopped me before...

I don’t know who first introduced me to Oliver + S.  I have an inkling it may have been the same friend who introduced me to blogs, but I can’t remember for certain.  Anyway, when I first came across these little beauties, I promptly bookmarked the website address  (oliverands.com for those who don’t know it) and have pored over the beautiful children’s patterns ever since.

And finally,  drum roll puuuuuh-lease!!  After much looking and longing (over 12 months worth), I am excited to announce that I have become the proud owner of Oliver + S patterns (that's right, plural, not just singular.  Thank you Mr Taxman). 

And here they are...

So far, I've got the Bubble Dress pattern, the Sailboat top, skirt and pants pattern and the Swing tunic and skirt pattern.  Cute.

I would have bought the paper patterns, but when I want something, I want it now, so I went with the digital.  I know, impatient.  Waiting for something to arrive via snail mail is lovely and all, but I’ve currently got itchy fingers that really want to see outcomes.  Sure, it means a bit of extra work printing off, taping together and cutting out the pattern pieces, but I figure it will be worth it in the end, seeing Rosie toddling around in her new little outfits that I made with my own two hands.

I can’t wait to show you the results.  So stay tuned!

X
:)

Good-bye cruel Winter...

Welcome to 'the wife made it.'  Glad you stopped by :)

Well, I don't know about you, but  I am oh-so looking forward to seeing Winter done and dusted for another year.  We've certainly had our fair share of Winter flus and ill health this year - although from what I hear, so has everyone else!

But, I have been SO motivated by the fact that Spring is only a few days away that I have started working on a Spring / Summer wardrobe for the Rosebud.

**Ummm, does anyone else find it hard to believe how quickly kids grow out of clothes??  When you only have one, without any older siblings to pass on their too-tight-ies, it feels like you are constantly buying new clothes.  I have to admit though, I do get a significant amount of enjoyment out of coordinating a hobbit-sized closet.**

Being able to sew is certainly a bonus when it comes to growing a wardrobe.  And there is so much inspiration out there I usually have more trouble staying focused on one project at a time than finding the next thing to make.  At the moment, this season's colour palette has got me head over heels for citrus, fluoros and bright and bold!

I saw these in Country Road the other day...

And, well, I bought them, of course!   I thought they looked very Summery and cool.  Just right for the Queensland Summer, but with the Rosebud's limited wardrobe I needed to make something to go with them.

And when I saw this on the MADE blog (one of my regular haunts, by the way), I came up with this...

I love the crisp white cotton drill as the backdrop for the lemon, orange and pink grapefruit colours.  Very refreshing, and perfect for a warm Summer's day when paired with a T-shirt and sandals.  Thinking about seeing the Rosebud in this someday soon makes me smile.  Whenever I dress her she always looks down at what I've put on her as if to assess and give her approval - hopefully she likes :)

Yeah, okay, those are my beads, and you're right, it is highly unlikely that Rose would actually keep them on long enough to even get her out the door, but hey, who's to say I can't pretend!  She's so little that it would be pretty funny seeing her toddle around with adult-sized beads on.

I think this little outfit will be just right for a weekend away at the beach...

X
:)