My Creative Space: a newbie

No time again this week for any actual making of new things however I am being creative in other ways.... I bought this quote as a fridge magnet for Chef many years ago and thought others may also like the sentiment.

To me, a garden doesn't have to be beautiful green space of your own. It can be a park or by the river or even just outside on your driveway or your little square peice of concrete out the back. It is, to me, more about being outside under the clouds and the sky. And a library doesn't have to be your own book collection, it can be the public library, it can be any book that makes you wonder about other places and other lives.

I like how this quote, from over 2000 years ago reminds us what we really need.  I love that our basic wants and needs haven't changed very much in over 2000 years.

What do you think you need to have everything you really need?

( ironically the cushion is for sale here, if for example, you "need" nice things..ahem)

More Creative Spaces over at Kirsty's place.

ta-da!It's the CHUNKYCHOOKY I-PHONE APP!!!

No one is more excited than me about this:

I have an app, yes, there is now a chunkychooky app!! You can download this app for free!! It is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 4.1 or later.( if you have iPhone 3 like me you can update- just plug it in to your computer)  How exciting is that!?!???!

here is the link or here

This is the little icon I made that will be on your phone if you download it.

So how did I get an app??

A lovely woman called Sarah who reads my blog asked me to make her a Hobart cushion- of which I did. Sarah has a son, Sebastian who really liked the cushion. Seb found my blog and well he OFFERED to make me an app.

Seb, is a 12 year old genius. And he made my app. He did. Yes, he is 12!!! 

Seb also told me over 200 people have downloaded it since it has been on itunes- about 4 days ago and I have only told Chef, Kate and Vic. So this means what?

Well it means more traffic to my blog and hopefully more traffic to yours too. I want to share the benefits of this app with everyone who reads this blog. Part of the speil on itunes about this app is there are loads of links to lots of other blogs from this app.  So see that little list of blogs I like? It is going to change and grow all the time.

Also if you know of any great tutorials or free patterns I want to know as I am going to link to them too- I have started a small list up the top in the right hand corner but please let me know about any you have come across or any you have made. So far people from 10 different countries have downloaded this app.

How exciting is it?

I am excited.

Very.

I wonder what will happen next?

weekend

I spent the weekend moving around various locations eating. Girls night on Saturday for dinner, curry, squealing and discussions about our children and how staying at home is harder than going to work. ( but both rewarding in there own way)

I went to a friends- from- work-  BBQ on Sunday where a group of 7 intelligent women set fire to the BBQ not in a way it is suppose to be set on fire and our solution, momentarily, was to chuck the entire BBQ in the pool. Luckily we came to our senses and smothered it with an old towel. The level of calm was hilarious. We all just looked at it thinking " this is not good but let's not panic' - looking around the room, and considering the occupations of those present it was where you would want to be in a crisis.

Sunday night Chef cooked and some friends came over.

          There was a lot of food but we ate most of it before I could take pictures.

There was some decorating of the fairy ( altar)  door, Chef tells Busy all the time that when he was walking past the door he saw it close- so they are home now.

There seems to be so much wildlife around at the moment, heaps of wallabies and lots of little lizards , like this little beauty.

Have a lovely week!

This week I...

This week I booked a much anticipated holiday.
This week I held a tiny baby and watched as I saw a woman become the mother she has wanted to be for so long.
This week I realised I run a business. ( I know, I was slow on the uptake ... but I finally realised it is not just an Etsy shop it is a business)

pic

This week I sat with my family in front of our big lounge room window eating our dinner together watching a very long snake hunt some finches in the trees.

This week  I saw the death of another gold fish and comforted  Busy as she shed tears over the death of little "orangey"

This week I realised yet again how much I love Chef's lentil salad.

This week I wished I had time to make something I have never made before.....

This week I had a several great ideas for new designs....

This week  I watched Busy draw endless pictures of rainbows, butterflies and of our family.

This week I noticed that Chef uses recipe books like I use craft books, rarely following exact instructions but getting lots of great ideas...

This week we saw a friend we have not seen in a long time and met his girlfriend who is ace and they are so perfectly matched and that is tops. 

This week I realised I had written a blog post very much in the style of my very good friend.

Every home should have this.

In Australia today 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 5-6 boys will be sexually assaulted by the time they are 25.  Overwhelming the perpetrator will be known to the victim in some way. It won't be a stranger. Many of us grew up being terrified of these " strangers" who were going to offer us lollies and drag us into a car. Yes, it happens but VERY rarely. ( A lot more rarely than the media would have us believe)

In my other job, I am involved in a school program  dispelling myths about sexual assault and domestic violence with Year 10 highschool students ( about 15-16 years old) Myths like if a girl is wearing a short skirt and or is really drunk she is asking for it, are addressed  in a way that allows young people to discuss  who they really think is at fault when someone is sexually assaulted.  Who is responsible?

Possibly the best resource for kids I have ever come across is this book. Everyone's Got a Bottom , Written by Tess Rowley and Illustrated by Jodi Edwards. ( Sally posted about it a while ago and reminded me how good it is) I have not been asked to review it nor am I giving any away I just think it is a great book.

It is hard to talk about this stuff with the smalls without completely freaking them out ( like in your head you might be thinking if anyone touches you just tell mummy so she can  kill them). This book allows you to introduce the topic with the little ones and would be a good way of reinforcing the issues with older ones. It is recommended for 3-8 year olds.  Busy at 4, loves it. The first time I read it to her she wanted it read over and over and over and she still asks it to be read to her all the time.

It is teaching children about keeping their bodies safe. Starting out with looking after your body, washing it, how girls and boys have differant "parts".  It uses the correct words and has some illustrations that are very child friendly.  It repeats the mantra on every page "From my head to my toes I say what goes". It talks about privacy and what is ok and what it not ok. "Maybe someone you know and like might want to show you their private parts" etc ... it talks about being able to tell Mum and Dad everything.

I cannot recommend this book more highly- I really honeslty think, EVERY child should read this book. It talks about a serious and scary topic in a very matter of fact way, with very clear and concrete messages for the smalls.  Maybe you could ask your local library to buy it? I bet they would.

If you need to talk to someone about Sexual Assault here are some resources.
You can buy the book online from Family Planning Queensland but google it and you may find it some where closer to home.
* sorry about my very average photos of the book.

                           

Japan Appeal

Japan. I can't say anything that hasn't already been said, far more eloquently than I could say it. But what I can do is help out. I have two of these cushions in my Etsy shop one here and one here. When they sell I will donate $20 from the sale of each cushion to the Australian Red Cross

life's simple pleasure

Although I spent many years in sweaty mosh pits and later at bush doofs really when it comes down to it, I love a musical.

This is my fave. I have been teaching Busy all the songs in the car from memory, but today the soundtrack arrived and I am in heaven. No one is home and it's just Julia and I singing up a storm. Really, what song is better than These Are a Few of My Favourite Things to sing to a little girl who is missing her Daddy (or for that matter when crossing the Alps fleeing Nazi Germany). And apparenty I just won $100,000,000 from British Tobacco- again!!
What a great day.

EeeeP!!!!

I'm excited.  I would love it if you swung past and said hi.... you can even find out Chef and Busy's names!!!

Grateful: A whole stack of it.

I am grateful that Chef seems to have a very mild case of The Fever ( or fever las vegas as we are calling it ). So mild in fact that he has gone on the much planned for trip to Tassie with his mate, driving another mates van and boat back to Tassie.

I am grateful that Chef has cooked me so much food for the week because he knows I will have Lindt chocolate for dinner otherwise. Thanks Chef. xx ( he also made sure I was stocked with chocolate too)

I am grateful for choosing such a great husband.


I am grateful for the encouragement I got the other day. ( thank you!)


I am grateful that Busy is being good while I solo parent for a week. It is only day 2 but so far so good. I am grateful that I got to see her in 3D glasses today when we went to see Gnomeo and Juliett ( well three quarters of it- which was fine - I know how it ends!) - hilarious.

I am grateful that on Monday our time something really big is going to happen for My Bearded Pigeon ( about 6 weeks earlier than I thought and of course the week Chef is away!!!)

But mostly I am grateful that I found this dress today and now it is mine.  It is beautifully embroidered, my photo is not doing it justice...

Sure it is not a patch on this creation by Kylie- (go and look at it- it is so fabulous!) and yes it cost me more than I should have spent but I DESERVE it!!! ( it wasn't crazy expensive Chef- honest and at least I am not telling you I bought it ages ago. I am being honest!)

Come back Monday morning and I can show you the big feature- or I may be too busy..... or maybe nothing at all will happen. EeeeK!!!! ( I don't know which one scares me more)

 More grateful here! Thanks Maxabella.

My Creative Space: balance

Balancing- not going under yet... but barely keeping head above water some days..... rattles, rattles, rattles ,then a few of this cushion then a crazy amount of the others, flying out the door.... have literally doubled production to keep up.... thank goodness I have help with the actual sewing.... the admin alone is crazy.... this is what I always wanted.... to be making real money from my craft.... but concerned over the amount of time it takes up.... too nervous to cut work hours back.... knowing it is going to get even busier over the next few months- in fact I just found out this morning that a big feature I thought was going to be in a couple of months is on this SUNDAY!!!! (EEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeepppp)  worried about Busy... am I hanging with her enough? What is enough?  I think I need to set specific work hours or something??

After this lot I think a break in rattle production is called for. I want to make something for Busy, for myself... plus I just want to sit down one night without  hand sewing something.

Find some  perky up beat Creative Spaces here, thanks Kirsty.

health warning.

Cover your arms, cover your legs, cover the kids arms and legs or pack on the mozzie* spray- I know it is horrible and toxic and revolting stuff but the alternative is this. We are pretty sure Chef has it, waiting for blood test results. Sigh, poor Chef.
* that's mosquito to the rest  of  the world.

Want to win a map cushion? Its my 400th post!!

It is my 400th post and to celebrate I am giving away any cushion you like! The Brightside Project is hosting a giveaway- it is easy to enter and you could win any one of my cushions! Your choice! Go on... what are you waiting for!!

Picture just in case you had no idea what I was talking about....

Man that kid of mine is cute!

Snoop in my bedroom....

Kirsty is hosting a new meme called Snoop my stuff. So I am joining in.

From top to bottom the book Just My Type by Simon Garfield is about fonts ... It is fascinating reading for the typography lover- and seriously you will never use the font Gill Sans  first designed by Eric Gill again if you knew the relationship the weirdo had with his dog. It is the perfect gift for the font nerd like myself....a whole chapter on my shared hatred of comic sans... ( I will go on as I am sure some of you have fallen asleep)  Next we have The Art Of Conversation by Catherine Blyth. Now allow me to explain... people that know me would laugh at me having this book because the title suggests it's for someone shy and quiet of which I am neither but I am really bad at small talk.... because of my other work where within 5 minutes of meeting someone I am asking them incredibly personal questions I am no good at not going straight for the jugular... no good at small talk... although this book is more about the history of conversation and how it has changed I have learnt some useful things.... I think....  

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingslover, I read this book a while ago and I just borrowed it from a friend to read again- I love it. Have you read it? How to use my camera- get it out of Manual mode.... The Divided Heart : Art and Motherhood by Rachel Power- I pick this up when I feel like I am struggling with the juggle... if you are a mum and a maker it is a life changing book. Another how to take photos book... and at the bottom the ever inspiring Handmade Nation . My friend made the necklace hanger for me for my birthday last year...Chef made the bedside table.  The lamp, made from string of tiny beads was the first home wares kind of thing I ever bought, when I was 16. I still like it.

I don't think this really shows anything you didn't already know about me? Amateur photography, crafter, mother, font lover....What do you think?

condoing violence

Here at chunkychooky HQ we dont like to condone violence however extreme dictators call for extreme circumstances. What do we have assassination for??
Can someone just take him out???????? I am happy to chip in a fiver.
Honestly the man is delusional at best psychopathic most definately.