Every princess needs an extensive wardrobe full of exquisite ballgowns. Julia (Miss Four) may not be a princess, but in her wardrobe you will find so many beautiful handmade dresses and skirts made by talented ladies I have met on Facebook.
I would really like to share with you some gorgeous outfits made by these very clever ladies. It has been such beautiful, sunshiny weather in Canberra that I thought it was time for some photos. Julia had so much fun dressing up in her new clothes!
This gorgeous skirt was made by Bev at Butterfly Mama Creations. Bev uses beautiful flowing fabrics and matches the vintage lace perfectly. The top is Pumpkin Patch, the boots are by Ouch from Charlipop Kids. This is a stunning "paint splatter" dress made by Lee-Anne at Hannah Banannas Designs. She also made the fabulous hat which really finishes the outfit. Lee-Anne uses bold colour combinations in her creations which I absolutely adore.
This beautiful Christmas baubles dress was made by Kate at Indigo Magenta. I love Kate's use of stunning fabrics and contrasting trim details. I am really hoping for a warm Christmas this year!
Finally, this sweet dress was made by Lisa at Oh Baby! Handmade Fashion and Accessories. I love the use of the two Christmas tree materials in this dress, but it was hard to choose from the wide range of fabrics Lisa has available!
All these ladies sew from the heart. I have more to show you later...
Ballerina Princess
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The mermaid birthday party was a huge success! The party girls made mermaid crowns and played pass the parcel, treasure hunt and musical chairs.
We ate fairy (mermaid) bread, chicken sausage rolls, little frankfurts, and pizza. We also had the most wonderful mini cupcakes (with mermaid toppers), mermaid biscuits and marshmallow slice from Lil Treats. And to finish off, a fabulous treasure chest birthday cake!
Julia (now Miss four) was thrilled with her balloons and streamers, and loved the party bags that everyone received, along with a balloon to take home. Here is the birthday girl in her gorgeous party dress from Machiko:
I really have to thank some wonderful Facebook friends who helped me with my birthday party planning and preparation:
Liz at The Spotty Napkin - a great collection of themed party items.
Christine at Lil Treats - divine cupcakes, beautiful biscuits and extremely moreish mashmallow slice.
Melinda at Machiko - funky clothes for kids.
Debra at Beads2Bracelets2U - lots of beads - necklaces and bracelets for the party bags.
Kylie at Funhouse Amusements - toys and things for kids - perfect for treasure hunt prizes!
Little Mermaid
Deluxe Personalised Children's Book
$21.50 each with free shipping for delivery within Australia only.
Available now from Jelly Bean Books.
I saw this on Nessa Knits blog and thought it was such a great idea that I wanted to play too!
1. Sweet or Savoury? Sweet, especially pavlova and cheesecake. And chocolate :)
2. Dresses or Jeans? Definitely jeans, they go with everything don't they?
3. House or Apartment? I love my house. It's got everything I ever wanted and it's my home.
4. Shop Online or Offline? Online all the way - especially Facebook shopping!
5. DVDs or Downloads? DVDs. Hubby has a huge collection.
6. Cocktails or Juice? Juice.
7. Chocolate or Strawberry? Chocolate milkshakes but strawberry icecream.
8. Laptop or PC? PC.
9. Magazines or Newspapers? Magazines - mainly cooking mags, I like to try new recipes.
10. Facebook or Twitter? Facebook.
11. CDs or MP3s? CDs. But I like to convert my CDs to MP3s to play in the car.
12. Kids or Pets? One kid, no pets.
13. Macaroon or Cupcakes? Cupcakes, especially butterfly cakes with whipped cream.
14. Walk or Run? Walk - or drive.
15. Breakfast in Bed or Breakfast Out? Breakfast out means bacon and eggs with everything - yum! I don't like breakfast in bed - it's too hard to eat without spilling or crumbing everywhere.
16. Market or Supermarket? Supermarket. I like the convenience of buying everything in the one place.
17. Sourdough or Grainy? Grainy, makes a nice change from plain white bread.
18. Heels or Flats? Flats. I can't remember the last time I wore heels.
19. Late nights or Not? Late nights, especially when I have a lot of books to make!
20. Coffee or Tea? Tea - especially if I don't have to make it.
Now you know a little more about me... please let me know if you are playing too as I'd love to read your responses!
Personalised Children's Books
Available now from Jelly Bean Books.
Christmas is getting closer - we saw Santa yesterday!
He arrived at the shopping centre amid a flourish of elves, angels and a walking present. The kids were overjoyed to see him, and Julia (Miss nealy 4) was no exception. The angels sang, the elves danced and the present was opened by a happy clown. Santa's merry "ho-ho-ho" was heard by one and all.
There really is something magical about Santa. Something that most of us wouldn't be without at Christmas.
Last year when I took Julia to see Santa, she was really keen. She had decided what present to ask from him and was more than happy to have her photo taken with a bearded stranger. She was delighted with the balloon and chocolate that Santa gave her and gave him a huge hug when she left. All was well; I sighed with relief. But then, a small voice came from below, "Mummy, why didn't Santa give me my present?" Oops, I may have neglected to tell her something before her visit...
Santa
Deluxe Personalised Children's Book
$21.50 each with free shipping for delivery within Australia only.
Available now from Jelly Bean Books.
I'm not really a cat person, but I do like Garfield. His philosophy on life is very simple. Eat and sleep. I could do that too, except with a family to look after there are so many things to do in between eating and sleeping.
Here are some simple quotes from this famous cat:-
"Love me, feed me, never leave me".
My husband likes this one - he says it should replace all those marriage vows. It does seem to simplify things so how can I disagree?
"I'm not messy. I'm organizationally challenged!"
This quote is mine, it's such a good excuse for being on Facebook all day and not picking the toys up off the floor.
"I'm not over-weight, I'm under-tall."
And there is the excuse I've been looking for to have that extra slice of cheesecake.
Garfield
Deluxe Personalised Children's Book
$21.50 each with free shipping for delivery within Australia only.
Available now from Jelly Bean Books.
Mermaids are such pretty, fanciful creatures, aren't they? When I asked Julia (Miss nearly-four) what sort of birthday party she wanted this year, I was quite pleased when she said that a mermaid party would be just fine. With balloons and streamers of course. Oh, and fairy bread and pass-the-parcel please. She tells me that it just wouldn't be a birthday party without all those things.
So now I am planning a mermaid party. I have looked in the shops for all things mermaid, and - wouldn't you know it? - Ariel is out, Tinkerbell is in. Fortunately there are plenty of ideas on the internet - although some are quite over the top! So in the spirit of keeping things simple, I am planning green and blue streamers and balloons, but I draw the line at turning my lounge room into an underwater grotto.
All the things on Julia's birthday list - balloons, streamers, fairy bread and pass-the-parcel - are the party things I remember from my childhood. These are lovely, simple things that she will enjoy at her party. It doesn't seem too difficult to please a 4 year old. But next year could be another story altogether...
By the way, I have purchased just about all of my party needs online at The Spotty Napkin. They have a great collection of themed party items, at very reasonable prices and with wonderful, fast service. Thanks Liz!
Little Mermaid
Deluxe Personalised Children's Book
$21.50 each with free shipping for delivery within Australia only.
Available now from Jelly Bean Books.
