urban craft goodness, all for me!

if you have been following my last few posts you would know that i have been extremely lucky lately. i have been on the receiving end of giveaways and just because and pay it forward parcels. well on the eve of receiving my giveaway parcel from urban crafts i have also won something over at a fanciful twist! how lucky am i?? i was also surprised to learn that i was getting three things from Karen, i really just had my eye on the ninja but her giveaway was for all three things. the photos below don't really show how cutesy it all is, i am contemplating doing a short course on how to best use my camera...

before blogging, i thought you had to use store bought boxes or packets to send things but i have seen all types of packaging, this is a hand made/recycled card box. look at the sky line Karen has added, which also is her blog banner.

this is what it looked like as i opened it.

hand made card which will find a home in my cigar box for all of my blog pal cards.

three parcels (plus the hand made felt card)

here it is.... felt sushi, felt keyring with the urban crafts banner in felt, felted ninja *swoon* and the felted card.

isn't he sweet... so very very small!!

i have used this cotton reel to give you an idea of how tiny it really is.

thank you thank you thank you Karen! it is all gorgeous and will find a spot on our hutch. do yourself a favour and pop in and say hello to karen she has made THE coolest little phone holder.

and if you want to see what else i have won, head over to vanessas blog to see the corsage she has made out of coffee filters, she even has a tutorial for you to follow.

smooches %*_*%

a sweet award...

a few days ago i was given this award from babalisme, she is a wonderful illustrator and designs heaps of cutesy, frou frou, whimsical treats that she shares with anyone who wants them! i have used her babushka sweeties, in fact they were a feature on our cupcake stand today.

This Renee award was created by Bella and Ces in honour of their friend Renee.In Bella's own words "this is a brand new award and I have the pleasure and honor of spreading the seed, watching it grow. I hope it finds it's way to those who are like Renee: the acorn, a small package becoming a tall and sturdy oak, giving more acorns, becoming tall and sturdy oaks, giving acorns...

this is so sweet and the words actually make me think of heaps of gorgeous bloggers. i know that some of you have heaps of awards and i understand if you don't take it from me but i just want to name you here so that you know that without your support this blog would not mean as much.

here goes

miranda JustM

linda lilly cottage

kylie a bite of country cupcakes

maria therese afiori

becky behind blue eyes

clare clare's craftroom

renata nata's little place

kerryanne shabby art boutique

kris tag along teddies

beki the ramblings of an everyday mummy

karen when life hands you scraps

i know that i included more than i should and left out heaps... if you like the award and want it take it with my blessing!

mister moo has been away this weekend. he went up to his dads with his brother for ANZAC day to wear their medals with pride at the local dawn service. i am happy for him to be with his family but us girls miss him like crazy!! claudia crawled into bed with me at 4 this morning asking for him and mia has had a sad face this evening cause she misses him so much. they are really lucky to have such a wonderful daddy and i am lucky to have such a great friend and husband.

in honour of a girls weekend we had our favourite family visit... the trees. i have known julie since 1987 and her girls and my girls get on like a house on fire. anyhow they came for cupcakes followed by a sausage sizzle followed by a bath then popcorn and jelly tips (ice creams) while they watched kungfu panda. what a great night we have had. and of course the mums caught up on all the goss!

i didn't take many photos and actually got no photos of the cupcakes but here is a pic of the empty cupcake stand.

this cupcake stand lives on the hutch and the girls adorn it with all sorts of things.

there is babalisme's tea party set download.

here they are bathed and enjoying a movie together... imagine if they were all mine!!!

now that everyone is tucked in and sound asleep, i am going to have a nice warm shower and drift off to dream land.

night night %*_*%

p.s. i am not a millionaire

and the luck keeps coming...

• unexpected child care rebate of $720 (thank god as we were down to our last $60 till next Thursday!!!)
• Claudia found 5 cents which i used to...
• scratch the scratchie dad bought me and i won $7 which i then reinvested in tomorrows lotto...
• watch this space for the next millionaire:)
• 

i dont want this to end, i am having too much fun.

%*_*% rosey

that postie is waaaay to quick!

hows this for amazing coincidences... my sister narelle visited me today and as she pulled up, and Claudia raced out for her trade mark aunty narelle bear hug, the postie drove down the other side of the road. as narelle and clauds headed inside i waited to see if the postie would pop something in my mail box, but i got a tad distracted by the mail CAR that pulled up behind narelles car. as the postie dropped a parcel in my box (didn't get to kiss him cause i was distracted) the other postie (FEMALE) called to me to ask if i was Mrs bonser.... hell yeah lady!! so here i am one parcel from afiori *eeeeeekkkkk* so excited as this is my pay it forward parcel plus a bit extra and a big box from my godmother who lives in Canberra!!!! what is happening to me??? the planets must be aligned in some unusual formation of luck to this little aquarian:)

i headed inside with my slightly bemused sister and told her all about my blogging life and how in my view if everyone had a blog there would be peace on earth... i didn't open the parcel from maria-therese straight away as seasoned bloggers know photos of all packaging are a must!

instead i opened the box from my kuma lidija (croatian word for godmother is kuma) and inside were treats for my girls... sets of three books, colouring books, jewelery, pencils, and heaps of dvds of shirley temple!! it makes me wonder whether she is secretly following my blog. the parcel was perfect. the photos show it all...

this is it! a Disney classic each colouring, painting and sticker books. dvds of movies she remembered watching when she was younger... curly girl just like mine:)

and a pencil case full of girly treasures. i have actually claimed the pencil case for myself to store some gorgeous pens i bought myself a while ago.

she also included some writing and a dvd of her husbands life that will no doubt make me cry, he was a great writer and teacher of music. thank you kuma, i am not sure if you read this but your spontaneous generosity over the years is an unexpected treat, the girls think you are like mrs claus!!

now i knew that i was getting a parcel from maria-therese before i was in her pay it forward set, but after i joined her PIF she emailed to say she would add a little extra... wait for it... it really is lovely.

isn't it beautifully presented??? and yes that is a Polaroid, apart from making mixed paper/media journals she takes and develops her own photographic art. simple colours of white pinks and reds which are reflected in the orchids.... and she knows of my love of birds, not sure if she has intended a book for each of the girls and the larger as mine? if so i will hold onto them until they are old enough to appreciate their worth. my photos don't do them justice. head over to her blog to see her shop. you can see the mix of pages but you cant tell how small it is, it is literally the size of your palm! perfect to keep beside the bed to jot down thoughts or keep it in your purse or pocket when out. it is really going to be hard to write in them.. but i also feel like i need to.

my photo does not show the true colour of this one, it is exquisite and i want to say favourite but i love it all so much.

by now maria-therese is probably having a heart attack saying 'what about the rest?'... luckily i didn't throw out the envelope. hours later the baby started to tear the envelope and Mia stopped her and looked inside and found this... another tiny book and two SCRUMPTIOUS tiny photos. really just spectacular and i feel privileged to have them. isn't this beautiful. mixed media at its finest. i am not going to unwrap the last little book it is so sweet just like that. Claudia was hovering around me the whole time i was photographing this and her favourite thing out of all this loveliness was this little fellow... the stamp!! thank you maria-therese for this parcel, i really didn't expect so much and the beauty of it all is outstanding. i am going to make another inspiration board but this time it will have ribbon to hold photos so that i don't have to put a pin through them as i couldn't imagine putting a pin through your photo!

now if you haven't already... head over to afiori and say hello from me.

i wonder what will happen next...

%*_*% rosey

time poor... hard decision

i am sure i am not alone when i say that there are not enough hours in the day for the thousand things i want and need to get done. to be honest i cant remember my life before blogging and crafting. i am enjoying both immensely but they take up so much time and take me away from more important things. so many times i hear my self saying to the kids 'in a minute just let me finish reading this blog'. as i sat in church over Easter i prayed to god to make me a better wife mother and teacher and that is what i want to do. i have decide to 'un-follow' some blogs. i have decided to just follow those bloggers i have a connection with. i will not delete the others from my blog list on my page but just from the updates i receive daily. i just cant keep up with them all. if i miss a day i am way behind but i feel obliged to read them. am i sounding crazy??? do you even care?? i almost feel like a weaselly child trying to talk my way out of something. i just don't want people to think i don't love reading their blogs... i just don't have the time. i will check in on them every once in a while. OK i have said all i need to say. don't hate me hate the clock and my busy busy working, raising three kids and being a loving wife life. %*_*% rosey

do you ever feel like kissing the postie?

for some reason that kylie minogue song... ' i should feel so lucky' is repeating over and over again in my head and it is all thanks to our very own kylie from a bite of country cupcakes. recently she posted about the parcel she received in a swap. among other things she was posted a pack of cute little eggs in nests.

now i have been on the look out for some of these for a while and after telling her about the drool that i was wiping from my mouth she promptly emailed me for my address!

you guessed it she sent a nest all for ME :) :) :) :)

hold onto your hats, that is not the best part. as i opened the parcel...

and read the gorgeous note, which has found a home in my vintage cigar box (not sure if it is vintage but it will be in 20 years time:)

i had to contain squeals of delight, mine no one else was home at this stage, as kylie had added a little handmade cupcake for each of the girls!!!!!!!

they are swoon worthy, they look edible and smell edible and are cherished and treasured and have found a spot on the hutch where the miniatures used to be.

i cant remember which belongs to who...

but each is as pretty as the next..

and even i cant choose a favourite!!

so there you have it, now you know why i want to kiss the postie... just have to be ready when i hear his little motorbike ;)

thank you kylie for this generous parcel of loveliness. you are one clever chick, do you have an etsy shop??? if not you should open one toot sweet.

i actually do feel lucky cause i won something on urban crafts blog. she has a good take on life well worth a sticky beak into her world. and i will also get something from afiori cause i am in her pay it forward set. and i recently received a just because parcel from clare over at clare's craftroom.

ok enough link dropping from me. i am going to try to finish my pay it forward stitching by friday mail time.

smooches %*_*% rosey

p.s. pray that the postie is cute ^_^

goodbye holidays we have had so much fun...

well tomorrow marks the start of term 2 and the end of our Easter holidays. i can honestly say that this holiday has been the most relaxing and soul nourishing holiday that i can remember. i think the key was that we didn't over commit ourselves and we stayed home more than normal. money is tight at the moment but we still managed to have a great time with our family and friends and some good old fashioned painting, sewing etc... i have taken a few snaps over the holiday as a memory of all that we did.

my sister celebrated her birthday the Wednesday before Easter Sunday so i baked her this cake. she has been hit by the recession and is currently seeking a job, if you pray please say a prayer for her... we set up an Easter egg hunt, heaps of fun!!

hidden in old logs and under vines... on top of fairy houses...

and finally gobbled up by chocolate hunters :) smiles, laughter and great conversations, treasured memories with family and friends. sew much sewing and not just by me.

hunting for snails and other bugs... the protective gear was for the mowing that was about to start. chalk art... playing teachers on the white/blackboard...

hopscotch!!!

and lots of painting... my girls love to paint rocks, we found these amazing house and tree shaped tiles all for $1! i know it is not in colour but i was in a sepia kind of mood :) and i actually learnt how to write on the photo too :) goodbye sweet holidays see you in ten weeks time...

%*_*% rosey

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