HMMM...WHAT HAVE I BEEN UP TO?....and a giveaway as well !!!!

Not a prim to be seen
but if on florals you are keen...

they're at the junction....

"Petticoat Junction"...

Lots of stuff I did sew
bags lined up in a row...
at the junction....
"Petticoat Junction"...

Come and be our guest

and you'll see all the rest

at the junction....
'Petticoat Junction"...

Oh yes I have set up a new store

with handmades and lots, lots more ...

at the junction

"Petticoat Junction"...

I've been dying to sing y'all that song...lol.

Not as good as the original version....but fun at least (well for me anyways)..tee hee!

Yep....well that's what I've been up to over the last few weeks.

Had so much fun making those couple of bags up for mum for Christmas, that I decided I needed a new challenge...so....website #3 was born (well it's actually #4  if you count the Chocoalate Crow Trader) and for those that know me...this is sooo out of my comfort zone it's frightening...lol...but hey challenges are good for the soul..... arent they?

So... I know I don't normally prattle on about my makings or advertise my stores etc in my posts, but for this once I am going to indulge and announce the grand opening of my new vintage and shabby chic wesite store...!!

Some of you may still be asking what it's called??? (even after my lovely singing)

It's of course called "THE PETTICOAT JUNCTION" and will be home to everything vintage and shabby including handmades, mercantiles (homewares) and collectables.

I have stocked the shelves with a basic lot so far but will be adding to my range over the upcoming months and as an opening special there will be a FREE Giveaway with every order (while stocks last)

Also...if you join my Mailing List you will go into the draw to win this great little gift pack, consisting of a pretty rose candle and face cloth set. Simply email me via the contact link on the website and I will pop you into the drawer, or alternatively you can leave a comment on this blog post and just type the word "mailout" and I will do the same!

So pop on over and have a squizz by hitting the link below

THE PETTICOAT JUNCTION

Thanks for your time ladies....till next time .....

It's definitely a dogs life....

I have finally come to the realisation that the above is true....It really IS a dog's life....well it's true in the case of our dog...lol

Meet our old gal Dusty, an 10 year old  Australian Chocolate Brown Kelpie (with ever increasing grey bits)

.....a fit , refined, working dog.....like a well oiled piece of machinery...

Always on the go....

Follows my husband everywhere.....

Takes her duties as protector of our family very seriously.....

And the snoring...well all I can say is no self respecting criminal would come within 100 metres of our place when this gal is at work as the noise is truely frightening!!!...so I guess in that case she actually has the guard-dog bit kinda covered...lol

And did I mention "alert"????...can hear a digital camera turn on from two rooms away (hence the open eyes in all of the pictures)...I was lucky enough to snap these BEFORE she up and ran away to hide behind the towel in the ensuite..lol (bit camera shy....doesn't like the papparazzi attention in the slightest....lol)

and as for the cat??????

...well she's kinda nuts too!!!

hmmmm...surely couldn't be from living with me could it???? lol.............

Live , Love and Laugh ....

This week revealed the sad news of the loss of not one but three young lives within our social network...all of them taken too soon, too young and with so much life yet to experience.

Three separate events ....all three leaving devestated family and friends to grieve their loss while bravely trying to celebrate lives cut way too short.

This should be a reminder to us all not to take for granted those we love and to spend each day being grateful and enjoying to the fullest what we have been blessed with...family, friends and good health.

So as they saying goes

LIVE .... life to the fullest....

LOVE .... and be kind to others

LAUGH .... much with family and friends

... as we never know when these simple pleasures could be taken away from us

Till next time.....

Girls Night In....

My hubby and brother had both decided to go to the Speedway on Friday night to watch the World Series Sprintcars....not wanting to join them it presented a perfect oppportunity for a girls night in!!!

So...that's exactly what we did....myself, my sister in-law and my gorgeous little neice, "CJ" !

So off I headed to my brothers house but not without first remembering to pack my digital camera. I always get a lovely reception from Charlotte when I arrive and this time I was determined to catch it on camera, so as to pop the pictures in my "memory book" along with all of my other precious photos.

So armed with my new digital camera (gift from hubbny for Christmas) I walked in and started snapping (hence the not so centred pictures...lol)

As you will see from the following I wasn't to be dissappointed ...

Oh how my heart swells when I see this little one smile!!.......There's nothing quite like the excited greeting from a precious little one to make you feel that all is right in the world.

Gone are all of the stresses of the previous week...faded away instantly and replaced by the most warm and fuzzy feeling one could imagine...purely because this little human being is so genuinely happy to see you....You..her Aunty Chris.....right at that one very moment is the most important thing in her little world!....she has instantly forgotten the toy she was playing with or chasing the cat around the family room and is solely focused on displaying her joy like only a child can....so un-inhibited and honestly.....just a pure delight for me to experience I can tell you!

All most as touching as that is the pleasure shown in the faces of my brother and "sis" as I watch them watching all of this play out in front of them. I am so thankful that they include and encourage Jeff and I to be so much a part of this sweet little person's life!

Well I can tell you the night started off well and continued the same way. My brother soon left for the Speedway and then it was down to serious "girl's business" with lots of cuddles, playing and giggles.

Soon bathtime came around  ......

and dinner was  popped in the oven....

 

Mmmmm...yummy Chicken Enchilada's-ala-Caz...

and once Charlotte was all snugglled up in bed Caz and I got down to a bit of crafting and began painting some large craftwood letters that will spell Charlotte's name.... to put up on the wall in her bedroom.

Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of our handywork, so I can't show you, but we are nowhere near finished as we did way too much talking in between brush strokes. (Not to mention stopping for ice cream and coffee breaks). We also need to get a few more paint colours to finish off our masterpiece and then need to decorate it with all of the little bits and pieces I bought to go on the letters...so that will have to be a picture for another post, I am afraid.

So there you have it...a perfect Girls night in....well for this girl anyways!!

Till next time......

I found them...I found them, I found them !!!....

An update on my previous post..."I've always fancied myself as a Prairie Girl"....

Lansakes…….

I thought I would never find them

…….but just in the nick of time

……..and lucky as church day is tomorrow!!!

I thought I was going to have to wear my old blue bonnet that has seen better days
….. but there they were …

…….right where I had left them

….in my old sewing box with the lavender bundle…..

….. my lucky rabbits foot and and my best fishing hook!....

Now if I can only find my Lemon Verbena….???

I know I shouldn’t wear perfume on the “lords day”

…but Johnny Johnson will be there!!!!

Till next time.....

(unless they lock me away first...lol)

I'VE ALWAYS FANCIED MYSELF AS A PRAIRIE GIRL....

Yes siree...indeedy I have! .....So when the opportunity to purchase an authentic vintage Amish child's outfit came up ...well you know me......I couldnt resist ...could I??

Ever seen something and just had to have it the minute you laid eyes on it?...well let me tell you...my home is full of "had to haves" and the sad sad thing is I could probably tell you where and how I came to find each and every one of them.

I don't know about you but I have dozens of "oh thats my all time favourite thing" items! ...... Do you think that this is just our way of justifying the fact that we have spent a ridiculous amount of money on something we really do not need...whilst also totally ignoring the fact that WE CAN'T USE THEM EITHER????

Take my Amish outfit (figure of speach...if you take it I will HAVE to kill you...lol)., well....it's not MY outfit as there is no way I could squeeze my 40 odd years of good living into that little beauty!!!, but it is my outfit in the sense that I paid a stupid amount of money for it because I "just had to have it" just so it can sit on a stand and look pretty!! (well prim really!!)

Once again I was totally guided by my little inner voice telling me stories of who once wore this gorgeous little garment. ...ooooh maybe it was THE Laura Ingalls herself...hmmm....maybe not as it isnt quite that old...lol

So....heres my guess..........Bessie, Jessamine or Gertie. She wore it to school each and every day (nursing her slate and slate pencil and later playing ring-a ring-a rosy) only having the pleasure of changing into her good calicoes for Church each Sunday. She wore it while doing her chores (shucking the corn, milking the cow and drawing the water) and she played in it on weekends and afternoons after her chores were done (running "quicker then scat" with all of her friends, playing "batball and hide go seek").

If you smelled it back then it would hold the faintest scent of "Lemon Verbena" that her ma allowed her "to wear special" when attending her her first prairie party with all of the other little girls from surrounding farms. They would have eaten fresh cooked ears of corn and apple pastries, followed by freshly made lemonade....a treat saved only for special occasions as sugar was so costly.

She would soon outgrow this little outfit and move onto a larger one lovingly handstitched by her ma from hardwearing homespun and the smaller, outgrown dress would be passed on to her smaller sister......Constance, Emma or even Hettie......to start it's life over.

So there you have it.....but alas.....this dress WILL serve one more purpose as I hope it be worn by one more very special little girl..... namely Charlotte .....when she is big enough for it to fit and who knows her picture may just grace the pages of my website.....sounds like I have a plan doesn't it!!....you will just have to wait and see... she still has a bit of growin' to do though yet (plus she needs to learn to stand up by herself first..lol!).

Anyways...I hope you have enjoyed my story and looking at this sweet little treasure I am so grateful I impulsively purchased some time ago.

I will leave you of a picture of me... the prairie girl at heart....lol

This was taken  at my market stall by a friend, when I was "modelling" one of the prairie bonnets I had made. Those of you who know me will realise that this was taken when I had my "mild brainfreeze" and had dyed my hair chocolate brown......hmm thinking back now...maybe it was because I wanted to look more like the auburn haired Laura Ingalls rather than her blonde headed sister Mary...lol.

Just kidding guys... seriously......I am not that bad....dont worry.....hmmm ..... now where did I put those nice blue ribbons that I wear when ma, pa Mary and me hitch the team and ride to church on Sunday????...lol

Till next time..................

AN UPDATE JUST FOR JACKIE....

I am still searching for those blue ribbons....just cant seem to find them.Hmmm....maybe I'll just have to wear my best bonnet instead...lol

YOU CAN'T RUSH THESE THINGS.......Can you?

Like most of the general populous I seem to be lacking any type of motivation this time of year...and for those of you who know me well, you will know that this doesn't happen very often.

Unfortuately my lack of any form of "gusto" seems to have been hanging around since before Christmas!. Allow me to explain.....

My last market stall was held on the second weekend in December. As usual it was a mammoth production and I packed to the hilt. For some reason (only known to my subconscious) I have progressed from not only filling the ute to capacity but also roping in my ever patient husband (who most times comes in the early am to help me struggle to put up my shade gazebo) to filling his long wheelbase work van with all kinds of fabulous old junk and creations.

As you will see from the pictures above.... on this occasion I even dragged along an old decrepid (but fabulous) and extremely large cupboard. Not for sale mind you....simply for display purposes (see how my mind works!!!!....my god woman it's only a market stall after all!!!).

As per usual after the markets my stock was unpacked from our growing convoy of motor vehicles and popped into my craft shed in readiness to be put away. However...this time it did not happen and as of last Thursday had still not been done!!!

I "like toadally" place the blame on Christmas, the extreme hot weather we have been having and ...well...the fact that I just couldn't be bothered!

This sadly brings me to introduce you to a side of my life that I am not proud of....my unorganised, messy  side...doesn't rear its ugly head too often but when it does ....it is simply shocking!! So bad was I this time that I had even thought about just leaving it until my next markets ...lol (just kidding...thy're not until March...lol). It actually took an order from a customer that included some wares that were still packed away to jog me into recognition that the dreaded job of upacking NEEDED to be done and quicksmart!!

So it was a trip to the dreaded shed of disaster...lol

('scuze the unmowed lawn)

It may look to you like any normal large old garden shed but what lurked inside was horrifying....

Though..... after about 2 days work, which I am proud to say also included a complete stocktake...Wallah....beautiful...orgaisation!.

Normality again!....something that I really do need to keep on top of with the stock of two website based businesses to keep track of....not to mention all the oldwares and crafting supplies and necessary junk I have stashed in there that need to be kept in some form of order.

So I can happily say that peace and tranquility has been restored to the backyard shed at #56 for the time being.

Now if only I can draw on some of that motivation to get my spring cleaning done (yes I know it is summer ...but I am taking some time off so "spring has sprung" early this year...lol)....Lord knows I have to get stuck into things...I havent even taken down the Chrissy decorations yet!!!

Hmmmm....whats that.....oh yeah my new Laura Ingalls Wider book...oh thats right I had started to read that hadn't I....oh well had best not leave another  job undone.....I'm off to read my book....whoever heard of spring cleaning in the heat of summer anyways???....lol

Bye for now......

CHRISTMAS BOOTIE...and a good start to the New Year!

A belated Happy New Year to you all. I know I am late but I have an excuse...we have been away...yipeeeee!

Firstly, I thought I would jump on the band wagon and show you a few of the lovely goodies I received from some of my Choccy Crow friends this Christmas. They all know me very well,  seem to know just what I like and each put alot of thought into the gifts that they each sent.

Each of the gifts have taken pride of place in my home and I am particulary enjoying the writings of Laura Ingalls Wilder. I can see that my Little House on the Prairie infatuation is about to take another turn ....from the DVD's to the books....look out hubby here comes another collection!!!!

Lansakes....(as Laura would say).....I have been very spoiled!.... and am very grateful to have such kind and thoughtful friends.

Well ....we kicked off 2010 with a trip away with my husbands race team down to sunny (NOT) Victoria., where they were competing in both the Australian and Victorian Microsprint Titles.

 Microsprints are a smaller version of the much bigger and more powerful sprintcars raced throughout Australia and the USA. They are much less expensive but are lots of fun.

We left home at 1am New Years morning after spending New Years Eve packing and readying the house for our departure. We drove right through the night and daybreak brought some unsightly weather as you will see by the pictures Jeff took through the front windscreen of the car...we could hardly see our friends travelling about 20 metres ahead of us.

We eventually arrived at our destination (Portland VIC) around 4pm the following afternoon....phew what a drive!

(view from out of our hotel window)

Here are some piccys of the racecars (all signwritten by my talented husband) and some of our professional looking team members (team shirts are all courtesy of my clevva man as well....what a legend!!).

A great weekend was enjoyed with some very dear friends (that's my honarary lil sis' standing by the car). Lots of laughs and fun was had by all, not to mention that the team brought home BOTH the Australian and Victorian title trophies!!...woooohoooo!

Having such a lovely break (despite travelling over 2600 klms in the space of 4 days) made me realise how long it has been since Jeff and I downed tools and let our hair down and just flat out enjoyed ourselves.

This being said I have made a conscious decision to make 2010 a year where I spend some much needed time on myself...yep...little old me. No more working 7 days a week and spending endless hours in front of the computer. I have vowed to take lots of walks (the dog will love me), visit my neice much more often, actually spend some time shopping for clothes rather than calico...lol ....just make a concerted effort to get out of the house a bit more. I have even gone as far as booking in to get my nails done (something I havent done in about 4 years!!!)

Life is too short...so look out world.....I'm back and here I come!!!!

Till next time .........