so much to do!

Ok so you can come back and read now :) I've cheered up somewhat! haha

I have been a busy bee these past few days with bits and peices... for starters our new unit is an absolute disaster zone and we're doing battle with it trying to find places for all our stuff and attempting to clean it... so far unsuccessful as I am sitting here blogging aren't I? :p We've also been calling around a fair few places as my husband is keen to go back into study and do Engineering and the Sciences to steer away from his current I.T career so we're busily trying to find out as much as we can about that so he can get started on that asap. And of course I have been busy with my sewing! I had my first international order last week (does happy dance) and a lovely custom made handbag and matching clutch went on it's way alllll the way over to the UK!

I have my fingers and toes crossed that I get another custom order for this bag style, I love making them so much!! Hmmm what else? Oh I tried my hand as doing some digital paiting for a logo design but didn't go so well.. I've taken courses in digital media before and was quite good at it and thoroughly enjoyed it but my current lack of resources makes for a tricky creative process as the software I was using then was a lot more advanced that what I have access to these days... but that's ok, one day maybe!

I've made all sorts of new goodies!

From pretty vintage floral fabric headbands...

To lace flowers...

To adorable new clutch purse design...

To digital invitation designing....

To making new super cute nappy wallets...

To creating kids aprons....

To making failed tutus...

And completing my second custom order :)

So as you can see my past few days have been very busy indeed! But they have been happy days! I like it when my sewing machine loves me and doesn't make me want to throw it out the window!

Look out world! Cake making here I come!

The beginning of a new year can hold a lot of new promising ventures, but none as rewarding as the ones you achieve through hard work and peserverance and reaching the end with pure satisfaction! This year I have resolved to reach and try all those things I think I have a knack for! Sounds pretentious doesn't it? What I mean is, I get great enjoyment out of a great many things, but very rarely have time to dwell on that feeling and just go with the moment and see what happens! My mind gets in the way with thoughts of failure, and 'what-ifs' (we all have those Im sure!) and the project is stopped before it's really gotten off the ground! So I have made a list of resolutions to follow through with and see what the end results are! As someone who has never really had a career path and no university training, I feel like the years are sort of drifting by without purpose. I know I want to establish myself as something...i just don't know what!! My husband is a very supportive and loving man and has encouraged to do what I enjoy from the beginning and has been there the whole time giving me positive feedback and being honest with me about my ventures. It's that love and support that makes me want to do something that not only I can be proud of, but that he can be proud of too...as corny as it sounds (and believe me, it is VERY corny), he tells me constantly that when I am happy, he is happy. Me and my past experiences haven't quite convinced my mind of the full truth of the matter yet... I know he means every word of it but my negative cup half empty attitude gets in the way! Silly I know, but that's part of being in my skin and having my mind! So what are some things that have always been pipe dreams that I feel I should try?? Well...cake making is definately one of them!! I have always admired the artistry that goes into cake making and decorating, such skill and beauty!!! I don't claim to have either of those things but something keeps nagging at the back of mind saying 'try it try it try it!!'. I have never used a sewing machine in my life, I got given one and right off the bat I knew what I was doing...heck! I'm even sewing myself a costume and I've had it little under 2 weeks! i dont know what happened there but Im going to keep at it! How many things did I handstitch before I had a sewing machine?? I handstitched tote bags and even made myself a skirt and they all turned out fantastic! Ok so sure sometimes I'd sit there for a few hours with my head in hands because I couldnt work out which way a peice of fabric should have gone but I did get there in the end! So that' why I think I should give cake making a go...I have the patience, I have 50 new different chocolate moulds given to me as a gift so why not try them out?

I would like to perfect my sewing too. The problem there being that we dont have a lot of money to keep getting fabrics to practice with...let alone buy all those lovely ones that people like to buy and make things out of...which is a little upsetting but we manage. My aunt gave me the idea that as a chef (she is of course, not me) that I should sew knife-rolls and take 5 or so to RSL kitchens, cafes, restaurants etc and see if they want to buy them. I had never thought of that but there is a perfectly good idea!

I should really try and perfect being a wife too...my cleaning skills are awful!

But making cakes is definately something I want to try..and it doesn't have to be expensive! Wouldn't it be nice to get the word out where I live and have a steady little income from cupcakes? *sighs dreamily*.... I thought the same way about my craft too...which in reality isn't really that successful...but back to the point, I enjoy it therefore I should try it!

Besides! if I practice too many cakes and no one wants them, well my husband and I will just have to be very fat and content =)

Photos for a friend! In return :)

It seems I have a blogging pen pal who lives alllll the way over in El Paso, America who was kind enough to share some photos of her travels and the places she has lived with me on her blog  in response to me asking what her life was like... well I figured the only thing to do of course was to respond! So Jessi, these are for you! My random, non chronological photographic adventures! There may be more than a few, I may have gone a little overboard :p You're going to need a coffee to get through them all :)

The Botanical Gardens at Coffs Harbour, this section was the rainforest walk

The jetty at Coffs Habour

Up at the 'Best of All' Lookout on Springbrook Plateau, Queensland.. it was so breathtaking! (thats me! hehe)

One of the falls at Springbrook

View from a friends' house in Sydney, NSW

A glorious sunset in my home town, Port Macquarie :)

A very friendly wallaby and her baby at a rest stop at Gibralter Rock

Early morning sunrise last year from our old apartment on the hill, Armidale New South Wales

Our little luxury cabin up on Springbrook Plateau, QLD that we stayed at for our honeymoon! Springbrook Plateau is a World Heritage listed place and one of the most beautiful places I have ever been! Hopefully I can find a photo or two of the falls!

 

Shark-watching from a glass bottom boat at Sea World..was very scary but we did it anyway!

The Sydney Opera House from the ferry to Manly, Sydney NSW

Sailing in Forster/Tuncurry. New South Wales

 

 At Trial Bay Gaol, South West Rocks having a Luau :)

 

 Myself and the scouting group at the bottom of 'Jolly Nose' mountain.....

And we made it to the top! Those kids practically ran up that mountain! That was almost 5 years ago now

In the city of Melbourne!!! Beautiful, beautiful place I loved it there! Zoo's, casinos, flashing lights, 3D cinemas, shopping ooh it was heaven!

This is inside a major shopping complex in Melbourne, that is called the 'shot tower', historically it was a bullet manufacturing builing. It has a HUGE steel and glass dome built over the top of it...very impressive and intimidating to stand under!

My hometown Port Macquarie :) This is a sunset from the breakwall... I miss the coast everyday :)

The beach at Indian Head

The view from a rest stop over Walcha Mountains... we travel over them when we go from Armidale to Port Macquarie to visit my family.  

Newcastle, watching a tug boat guide a container ship into the harbour

The old Boundary Riders Hut we camped at in Tuena which was about 8 hours inland from Port Macquarie. 4 days in the middle of no where with no running water, radio contact and living under a canvas tent! It was definately an experience!

The baby wombat my parents rescued from it's dead mother on the side of the road... not really relevant but it's cute :) haha!

Speaking of cable cars... This is was at Taronga Zoo, Sydney...lovely cviews of the city but still too high for me!

Part of my backyard :) And my dog, Toby

A masquerade ball I went to years ago... lots of fun!!

Another of Port Macquarie! This is the view from a penthouse apartment at Rydges Resort...it was DIVINE! Holidaying in my own home town haha!

Valentines Day card making today!

So I bought another scrapbook stack today (I own quite a few...I can't help it! They're so pretty!) and it happens to be very pink and glittery so I figured I'd make some Valentines Day cards with it! I still have the flu and am very tired so settling down at my desk with some pretty papers seems the perfect things to do. The photo came out a little yellow there but they really do look very nice! I'll just keep card making until I run out of double sided tape! (Then go out and buy more! haha!)