.Posting from the GREEN house!.

Hello INTERNET! We have been internet-less at home for two weeks. At first it was great and then I missed it and then I realised how much stuff I get done when I don't waste my time online and thought it was a blessing and then we got connected again last night and I am excited to do a bit of blog-catching-up and not so excited to pay some bills!

(that was a really long sentence, huh?)

So, the move went amazingly well. We had some wonderful helpers and have settled into our new home. The kids LOVE LOVE LOVE it. I asked Oscar if he liked this house or our old one better and he said this one because it is more fun to play with Lilsy here :) The space is much better, it isn't a great deal bigger, but much better design. The deck is AWESOME! Still to finish the seats and screens (hopefully in the next couple of weeks) but the floor is done and is already proving to be a brilliant place for the small-frys to run and ride and sit and swim. And I can see them from the loungeroom, kitchen, dining room AND studio.

The front door is still my favourite. The scarlet turned out a lot more pink than red but I'm happy with it. Jaron would have preferred more red, but perhaps that's because he is a boy?!

And I am SO glad that we were bold and daring and followed through with the green internal wall because it is smashingly bright and wonderful.

So while all is fine and dandy with the house we have had a run of bad luck since moving in - hopefully not bad karma in the house? :( One car has needed a new gearbox and the other had a huge rock thrown through the back windscreen, also smashing the glove box inside which has left us with no cars at all for the last 2 weeks. Our computer got a CD stuck in it and we need to replace the whole disc drive. My washing machine wouldn't hook up and I had to get the repair man in to fix it. Jaron built a letterbox and the next day someone knocked a hole through it.

I keep telling myself to breathe and not think about the bad too much. When something good and exciting happens in our lives we are always greeted with a wave of not-so-good stuff (perhaps to keep us humble?) but we always get through it. Life goes on, the bills will get paid eventually and at the end of the day I've got a scarlet door (and that's all that really matters, right?!)

(oh, and there are no indoor shots of the house yet because it is seriously MESSY! I finally met my deadline for the "big project" this morning {HORRAY} and have been spending all day and all night until 1:20am for the last week sewing, typing and ironing out the kinks. I am exhausted but so excited to have it behind me and get my life back again!)

.Valentines Day LOVE.

For Valentines Day I couldn't help but share a picture recently left on the Make It Perfect Flickr group from Pink Lemonade...how cute is this???
The Little Explorer pattern was used to make the red overalls her little man is wearing. So cool...

Happy Valentines Day everybody!!!!

.Shearwater Kaftan WINNER.

Wow! Thankyou so much for your lovely messages about the Shearwater Kaftan - I'm so excited that you are excited!!!

Congratulations to Alles is Anders...

You have won yourself a copy of Shearwater Kaftan!!!

Send me an email with your postal details and I'll get it off to you ASAP.

A BIG HUGE thankyou to my brilliant pattern testers, Rachel and Karen for putting this pattern to the test...you guys are the best! Check out their blogs to see some of their brilliant sewing creations...

And I forgot to thank my talented sister, Carli for coming up with the Shearwater Kaftan name - she is the best at all things word-related :)

Now I need to get off the computer and get to work - MOVING DAY TODAY!!!! Hopefully we can get most of the house moved over by this evening and spend the night at the new house, but we might be pushing it! We will be well and truly moved by tomorrow though and then the fun of unpacking begins :( Our builders are finishing off a few little jobs today, the kitchen is finished and cleaned though so last night I packed up all of our kitchen stuff (except a bit of food for us to eat today) and put it all away in the new kitchen. So exciting...I figure that if the kitchen is all set up and in place it doesn't really matter how long it takes to unpack everything else and it was much easier to unpack and organise late last night with out "helpful" little hands getting in the way!!

So I might be absent for a little while - until we get the internet hooked up in the new house anyway. Anyone who uses my AAPT email address...it isn't going to work in a couple of days as we are changing phone/internet providers so make sure you use my makeitperfect email address and I'll be sure to get your messages!

.We won a FROCK!.

In December I entered a giveaway I found on Modern Make's blog to win a frock from the very talented Angie's super cute store, Frock.

I don't enter a lot of giveaways, but couldn't resist this one...Angie's frocks are adorable. She has a very distinct modern retro feel showcased in a beautiful selection of dresses for little girls.

When I found out that I was the winner I was so so so very excited!! It took me awhile to decide which frock I wanted and settled on the Pretty In Pink Bubble Dress for Lil. Lil is totally into dresses at the moment - and not skirts, it HAS to be a dress! She calls them her "big beautifuls"...as opposed to skirts - her "little beautifuls"!!

She is over the moon about her new big beautiful...
Thankyou Angie - we LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!!

Make sure you go and visit Frock and Angie's blog...you will love them! :)

.Big Boy = School.

This morning my little boy got big!

He woke up all excited about his first day of Kindergarten and kept bugging me all morning to leave. Last night we had a chat about how it is really important to be obedient and organised on school days and that Oscar needs to eat breakfast, get dressed and help pack his bag before he plays in the morning before school. He was so good this morning getting everything ready, but a little over-excited which made the morning drag on for him as he was waiting to leave!!
When we got to school he was really quiet and didn't talk much to his teachers, I thought he must have been feeling sad so I sat down to play with him for a bit. I told him that I would stay with him until he was ready for me to leave and he looked straight up at me and said, "can you leave now then Mum?!!!"
I felt a little bit sad that he wasn't upset about me leaving him but he is so ready to be at school, and if he is happy then I am happy! After he asked me the third time if I was going to leave yet I thought I had better get out of there and leave him to his new world of learning and independence!
Tommy, Lil and I went to playgroup at the beach after dropping Oscar off at school now we are back at home, the little ones are asleep, I've got 1 1/2 hours until we have to leave to pick up Oscar...my options are to pack more boxes, do some Make it Perfect work or have a short nap...I know what I'm doing ;)

(Yes, I'm going to be the Mum who goes to pick her kid up from school every afternoon trying to flatten down my bed-hair!!!)

.Recipe Monday.

Ummmm....YUM!!!!!!!!!!

These brownies are so good. I had been dreaming about brownie with a yummy layer of caramel through them for quite awhile then came across this recipe, with different versions duplicated all over the internet. This is the one I followed. Since all of the websites were American, I wasn't really sure what was meant by "caramels" - jersey caramels, toffees, hard caramels - so I went with Werthers Originals Chewy Toffees (pictured below). They worked out great but a tad expensive since I had to use two packets. The end result tasted a lot like those cans of Nestle Caramel Top'N'Fill so I think I will try using that next time to save a bit of money and time at the stove.
Gooey Caramel Chocolate Brownie
1 packet chocolate cake mix
170g butter, melted
1/2 cup evaporated milk
2 bags caramels
1/3 cup evaporated milk (extra)
1 cup chocolate chips

Combine cake mix, melted butter and 1/2 cup evaporated milk in a bowl. Mix well and spread half into a greased 9" x 13" slice tin. (Reserve other half of mix). Bake in moderate oven for 7 minutes.
Melt unwrapped caramels and 1/3 cup evaporated milk over medium heat, stirring constantly. When smooth, pour over brownie in slice tin.
Sprinkle over chocolate chips.
Dot remaining brownie mix over the top of the caramel/chocolate chips.
Return to oven for 12 minutes.
Cool before cutting.

.SHEARWATER KAFTAN.

Excited to release a new Make It Perfect pattern today - this time, one for the ladies!!!

SHEARWATER KAFTAN

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Brighten up your wardrobe with a sensational Shearwater Kaftan.

With just the right balance between floaty and fitted and featuring lovely front placket detail in a choice of two lengths, the Shearwater Kaftan is comfortable, flattering and practical.

Wear your Shearwater Kaftan with long sleeves to provide protection from the sun or roll up the sleeves and secure with a cute sleeve tab if you want short sleeves!

Throw it on over a pair of swimmers and shorts, wear it with a summer skirt or dress up a pair of jeans – the possibilities are endless...

This version of the Shearwater Kaftan was made using an absolutely divine double gauze fabric called Fuccra Rakuen by Nani Iro that is currently in stock at Kelani Fabric.

Head over to the Make It Perfect website to see more photos and check out the fabric requirements for Shearwater Kaftan.
If you have a store and want to stock this or any other Make It Perfect patterns, contact Creative Abundance to place an order.
If you would like to purchase a copy of Shearwater Kaftan for yourself, they should be popping up in retail stores very soon. Ask your favourite store to get one in for you!A BIG HUGE thankyou to Fiona Harding for her brilliant photography and excellent service and to my SENSATIONAL model, the adorable Miss Emma (isn't she stunning?!)No pattern release is without a giveaway! If you would like to win a copy of Shearwater Kaftan leave a comment on this post. For a bonus entry, post about this giveaway on your blog, then come back and leave another comment letting me know that you have blogged about it!

(Giveaway will close Friday 12th February and winner will be drawn via a random number generator.)

.Showing Off.

Did you know Make It Perfect has a Flickr group? Its been around for awhile but I don't believe I've ever blogged about it before.

If you are not familiar with Flickr, it is a big online photo gallery. You create a profile, upload photos and can add them to different groups (like the Make It Perfect one) if you feel so inclined.

Today I want to show off some of YOUR Make It Perfect creations from the Flickr group, focusing on the Versatile Wrap.

Oh, and if you have made something from a Make It Perfect pattern, take a photo and upload it to the Flickr group - I'd love to see what you have made and am sure others would like to check it out too!!!

Nay_Simpson

Earthgirl Fabrics

Ratamuffin

Isitnaptime3

novice_hame

novice_hame (she made it reversible!!)

novice_hame

novice_hame

novice_hame

isitnaptime3

.Oh February.

February is going to be feral. I can just feel it.

We will be moving house, starting school and approaching a major deadline.

Oh, the move...I haven't done a thing! No sorting, no packing, no cleaning. Lucky we are moving just up the road. But it is still a move and involves the big clean up of the old house which is never much fun.

Oscar starts school in 9 days. 9 days! He has a school bag thanks to a birthday present from an organised Nana. We will have to go shopping for clothes and shoes and other school bits and pieces.

And the deadline - yuck! I shouldn't complain...it is more fun than any other job, but the amount of sewing and typing I have to do in the next 3 1/2 weeks is a bit crazy!

So, is I am not regular at the blog over the next few weeks, don't worry - I'm just finding my way out of a pile of fabric with sewing machine humming, packing school lunches and adjusting to a new routine and trying to make sense of setting up a new house and cleaning the old.

Bring on March!!!

(and join me at a day spa...)

.Family.

The day after Pop's funeral we were lucky to have an extended family get-together so that we could spend a bit more time with one another before those who live interstate had to fly home.
Uncle Kim and Aunty Deidre live in Nan and Pop's old house, but they have renovated it and done it up recently to be a beautiful, modern home. It was so lovely being able to meet there as it was our "old stomping grounds" for Triffitt get-togethers. Although the house looks different now, it still feels the same and was the perfect location for us to gather together.
Nan joined us for a few hours which was really lovely, I think she was well and truly worn out by the end of her stay though with so many crazy great-grandchildren buzzing around her!
It was such a fun day together - a BBQ, playing cricket, riding motor bikes, a hayride, a waterfight and lots of time to catch up with each other once again.
Carli and I tried to get an individual shots of everyone with hopes to make something (don't know what yet?) for Nan for her birthday coming up at the end of February. There were a few sneaky adults and busy children who I didn't manage to snap - I hope you go them Carli?! I love being a part of a big family. It is especially nice now that my cousins are all having children and that our little ones have a big network of people they can call family and trust and rely on and know that they too will grow up having the same strong bonds that I did with my cousins and aunties and uncles. Your parents and brothers and sisters are so important, but sometimes growing up you are too cool for them and I know that I wouldn't be half the person I am today without the support of my extended family to fall back on.
There is something special about family. It encompasses a totally unique, unpredictable blend of personalities, yet we have a special bond with one another and share a love and friendship that in many cases wouldn't exist if we weren't related.
I know that Pop would have been watching us from heaven and smiling as we carried on his legacy of faith in family without him here to guide us.

.Love for Pop.

Sorry for the scarcity on the blog this week. It has been a busy and emotional week. Not in a devastatingly upset way, but it has been a time for reflection, reminiscing and celebrating the life of the man that so many of us love and call Pop.

Pop lived to the age of 89...a couple of months more and he would have been 90. His health had taken a turn for the worse a few years ago and he had been sick on and off for quite awhile. He passed peacefully away in his bed last Monday, a bitter-sweet moment for all of his family and close friends. Although we are all sad that he is no longer with us to share his stories and love we are also happy that he is free from the infirmities his aged body presented him with. We are sad for Nan, that she no longer has her faithful companion by her side but know that this is the way things are supposed to be for a little while.
We always used to joke around saying that when Pop eventually passed away (he was like the Energizer Bunny...always bouncing back when we thought this was "it"!!!) his funeral would be a huge event and it was! He was so well known and loved by everyone, it was touching to see family members and many, many friends of Pop's gather together to bid him farewell.

His funeral on Friday was just beautiful. There were many tears shed. I will miss him dearly and it is sad to think that he isn't going to be here any more but most of the tears I shed were tears of gratitude and love for this great man who has been such a wonderful example to me and taught me so much throughout my entire life.

He taught me to work hard and keep working at a job until it was completed and done well.

He taught me about service and how important it is to look after those around you who are less-fortunate or in need.

He taught me to love Jesus Christ and helped me to develop a testimony of Him.

He taught me that it is important to have fun and joke and laugh, I have fond memories of Pop playing practical jokes on people after Sunday dinner and telling us the same old jokes over and over again - they were always funny when he told them though!

He taught me to hold family close and make the most of the time we have with each other. Family is different from friends.

He taught me to love the earth - I watched him work on his river flats day after day, week after week, year after year, keeping the entire acreage in pristine condition. I didn't realise what a wonderful job he did at this until just recently when we camped at the river flats and saw things from a different perspective and how much work must have gone into caring for it all.

He taught me that you can achieve anything in life if you want it badly enough. Pop was from a very poor family, he couldn't read or write properly until he was a father himself, Nan was from a very wealthy family and her father did not want them to marry because he said that Pop would never amount to anything. Pop proved him wrong and ended up being one of the most successful farmers in the area!

He taught me to slow down and enjoy the beauties of life for you never know when your time is going to be up.

It was so wonderful to have all of the extended family together once again. My cousin Penny lives in the USA so she wasn't able to be there in the flesh, but did join us over Skype and was able to be a part of the funeral in that way. Nan and Pop have 6 children, 29 grandchildren and 58 great-grandchildren! Growing up we would get together each Christmas for a family lunch and usually a few other significant times during the year. Unfortunately as we have all grown older, married and had families of our own and many of us have moved away this doesn't happen very often anymore so it was very special to all be together.

When planning his funeral awhile ago, Pop wanted one grandson from each of his children's families to be the pall bearers. I think he secretly did this because he knew it would make us all cry A LOT! :) It was just beautiful watching my cousins carry him to his grave and extremely emotional for everyone.Pop was a WWII veteran and as his coffin was being lowered into the ground the boys held an Australian Flag over the grave as The Last Post was being played. Our eldest cousin, Dion proudly wore Pop's medals from war during the funeral. It was all so fitting and appropriate as ANZAC Day has always been such an important event in Pop's life and for the rest of the family as we would gather together and watch him march down the street and pay our respects to him and the other men and women who served our country so valiantly at war.
Nan was just perfect. She has always loved to buy new outfits, get dressed up and have her hair done and she was so beautiful. Pop always used to joke that she "was the best wife I ever had" (and he only ever had one!) and he is right...she is just adorable and a strong woman who is also a wonderful example to all of her family.
Thankyou Pop for your life, your example and your love. Your legacy will live on.
Love, Midget
xxx

P.S. You can read more about Pop and how he has touched our lives on my cousin's blogs here, here, here, here and here.

.Farewell Pop.

This man is a hero.
A hero of war.
A hero of family.
A hero of religion.
A hero of friendship and acceptance.
A hero of work.
A hero of endurance.

His life was long and rich. He has touched many.

Farewell Pop.

We love you and will miss you but are happy you are in a better place. I can't help but smile as I think of the hundreds you have been greeting with a warm hug or a firm handshake in heaven today. We are sad for Nan, but there is joy in knowing that we will meet again.

Love,
Midget xxx

Families are Forever.