what's in store for 2011

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Did you have a good holiday? We did alot of travelling to spend time with all of our families, but it was well worth it. My Mum's side of the family had a reunion. The first time we've all been together in over 15 years. One of my cousins travelled for 36 hours straight, from the other end of the country, to join in. It was pretty special.

We wanted NYE to be a big one, seeing as it may be our last chance for a while. But we were so pooped from all the travelling over Christmas (having only gotten home the day before), we ended up just popping down to see the local fireworks, and were all tuckered out, in bed before midnight. Oh well...

The lead up to Christmas was also pretty big. Loads of work. Mr You's mum came and helped me sew my way through half of my Wombat pillowcase orders, meaning I got them sent out in time for Christmas (which was SO awesome)... only 45 to go now. ;)

I also sent out my Thanksgiving Giveaway Prize Pack, and Jacinta seemed genuinely thrilled to receive it! :D



The past few days have been really fun through. Plodding around the house, getting things organised, working on this and that, and finishing each day with a lovely Summer swim.

Now, it's back to work, sewing pillowcases and bags, creating new products for La La Land (more on that soon), a commission, setting up some deals for the coming months, and general pre-baby renno's and preparation. The countdown has begun, I'm hoping to finish everything up before the end of the month, before I become too cumbersome to move, (which on some days feels as though that point is only 15 minutes away).

Hope you had a great few weeks too!

may yours be merry and bright

bubble bliss

I've had a scorchingly busy couple of months. I can't remember the last time I gave myself a full day off. With all the market preparation, travelling to and from, follow-up work afterwards, sewing my way through 85 pillowcases, Christmas shopping, a Mr You family funeral last week, etc, etc... there hasn't been much time for R&R.

But yesterday was the day. Started off with a sleep-in, followed by a yummy cooked breakfast, and then I had a loooong bubble bath! IN THE MORNING PEOPLE! It's unheard of I tell you. I don't think, in my entire life, I've ever started a day with a long slow bubble bath. AAAAAHHHHHH.

From there I spent some time lying on the lounge, doing some Christmas baking, (okay, then I did squeeze in a teensy hour or so of work), but we finished the day with a trip to the movies.

It was bliss I tell you. B-Liss!
And feeling so much better for it.

my stall

More pics of my stall...












All of my fabric products; whale stuffies, library bags, pillowcases, and brand new lavender bags all sold out faster than I could have predicted. I'm now up to my armpits sewing the other 85 pillowcases I took orders for. Yes, 85!!!!

But the absolute highlight of the market for me was this little ditty...

On the first night, a lady called over the top of the crowd to me, asking if I had any pillowcases left. I had one left, and she grabbed it, telling me she'd seen it online and came to the market specifically to get it! She got the last one.

So that was pretty cool in itself... right?

Well, the next day a kind-faced gent waited patiently to get through the crowd to the front of my stall, and told me the woman from the night before was his wife.

He told me how when she got the pillowcase home she put it on her daughters bed (who is just 3). Their daughter took one look at it and ran off down the hall. She was in the bathroom brushing her teeth, put on her pyjamas, and rushed straight into bed. Then as she lay the side of her head on the pillow, she kept stretching her eyes down to see the picture. The next morning when she woke up she ran into their bedroom hugging her pillow, excited to show them.


It could be all these extra hormones, but I still get teary telling that story.

Honestly, it's moments like that (people taking the time to tell you those stories) that really makes it, you know?

*beam*

sydney market in review

Whaoh... Where on Earth did that past week go!?

So, where was I? The markets...
The Sydney Finders Keepers Market was... you know what I'm going to say... GREAT!

Some highlights:


Our lovely neighbours, Benconservato, and Alfalfa Crafts.


Benconservato's amazing bespoke softies, keeping an eye on everything.


General cool ambience.



And decorations.



The shoppers getting involved in making the papercrafts.


Actually speaking to Kareena Zerefos this time, rather than shyly oggling her from a distance. These are her lovely new pendants, made to match her illustrations. Cool, huh?!


Meeting Chloe from Little Green Seed, and falling in love with her porcelain pendants.


And left kicking ourselves for not splashing out to buy ourselves one of the awesome stools by The Missing Pieces.

And of course, as always, meeting some really nice people, including the other stall holders.

(Thanks to the official FK Photographers for these amazing photos).

home

Photo by Jillian Leiboff.

Home again from a HUGE weekend in Sydney at the Finders Keepers Market. It was seriously good. Thanks so much to everyone who came along, to all the nice people I met and to the other stall holders. I wish we could do it more often.

I'll tell more soon, when I regain some energy.

sydney summer finders keepers market

Come say "hi" if you're coming along to the Sydney Finders Keepers Market this weekend.
I'll be in the main room, sharing a stall with Benconservato, opposite end of the room to the band.

Can't wait! Hopefully see you there!

(Back to sewing up more whale stuffies... busy busy busy)