Noah's Ark - Raising funds for flood relief

Amidst the current devastating flood crisis in Queensland, the Noah's Ark in this story is all the wonderful generosity shown by so many people across Australia and the world. The Facebook and blogging communities have banded together to raise funds to assist with the Premier's Disaster Relief Appeal for the Queensland floods.

Facebook: Premiers Disaster Relief Appeal

I'm sure that everyone I know on Facebook has donated to this cause in one way or another. I would like to commend AnK Bowtique on their recent wonderful auction, but most importantly all those that donated and bid on each item and made it a resounding success.

There are many more auctions on Facebook, some underway and some to start shortly - please take a look and place a bid on some beautiful handmade and generously donated items:

• flickwillfixit.com.au
• Handmade Kids & Rudy & The Dodo Flood Appeal
• Jewels by Lulu
• Awareness Angels
• The Oz Material Girls & TOMG's $1 Auctions 
• Itty Bitty Butts
• poppyseed markets
• Jellybean Childrens Markets
• Jazzy Kidz Auction
• Spreading Random Acts of Kindness
• Summerblossom Handmade Accessories
• That Vintage
• Wholesale Baby

An auction is being held at RSPCA Charity Auction on Facebook to raise funds for the Queensland RSPCA. Unfortunately animals do not receive government funding, so please spare a thought for our four legged and winged friends and bid at this auction if you can.

Another Facebook page helping kids with something special is Sponsor a T-Shirt for a Toowoomba Child. This is a page where a small donation can help in such a big way.

There are also auctions being held on Blogs, co-ordinated by Toni from Make it Perfect, which feature so many gorgeous handmade items:

• Irene's RE~VINTAGED
• Off The Peg
• Make It Perfect
• Felted Jumper Arms
• Becky et al
• Lal Lal Living
• posie patchwork
• Mrs Beckinsale
• cloth work
• Blue Mountains Girl
• Embellish Your Life
• Once upon a Quilt
• Designs by Fee
• Julia's Place
• Because I'm Me
• JoyPatch
• Stitchin' Skilly
• Recycled Fashion
• Jewells
• Mandamade
• Tea Time Quilt Patch
• Cathy's Sewing Room

Also in Blogland, some fabulous raffle style giveaways:

• Chunky Chooky
• posie patchwork
• Sew What Next
• Little Boozle

There are many more bloggers joining in this weekend, so please check with Make it Perfect for a list of blog auctions which I am hoping will be available soon.

To make a donation to the Premier’s Disaster Relief Appeal, please visit Donate to the flood relief appeal.

Please share these links so that others can participate in the fund raising. There are so many people and businesses who are donating in their own way, some by sharing part of their sales or profits, some by making their own personal donations. If you would like to share a link to any other fund raising effort, please let me know by commenting below.

Noah's Ark
Deluxe Personalised Children's Book
$21.50 each with free shipping for delivery within Australia only.
Available now from Jelly Bean Books.

Ballerina Princess - still more beautiful handmade clothes ♥

I have more gorgeous handmade outfits to show you which have all been made by the many talented ladies I have met on Facebook. How can I resist such beautiful clothes!

This beautiful flip skirt was made by Kate at Indigo Magenta. Kate's use of stunning fabrics and contrasting trim details is wonderful. Kate makes boys and girls outfits in all sizes and I think I have about five pieces in Julia's wardrobe already!

Another skirt, this one by Kylie at Possum & Sweetpea. Kylie uses very pretty fabrics and makes gorgeous shirred & pillowcase dresses as well. Her sister Kristy makes fabulous crayon rolls which are really popular.

This dress is sewn by Melissa at maggiej designs. Scott & Melissa design gorgeous kids clothes, soft toys & hair accessories and their fabrics are so bright & colourful.

Last dress, this one by Jo at Dalabri Designs. I love Jo's simple dress styles and gorgeous fabrics. She makes boys and girlswear in a wide range of styles and I'm quite sure that she can sew anything!

I have such a handmade addiction that I still have more to show you, and will get some more photos together soon.
      ♥♥♥            ♥♥♥            ♥♥♥            ♥♥♥            ♥♥♥
Meanwhile, to celebrate 1400 Facebook "likers" for Jelly Bean Books, it's time for a giveaway competition! In keeping with the Ballerina Princess theme, I have a copy of this beautiful personalised book to give away.

This is a 24 page 23cm x 15cm personalised children's book featuring your child's name, age, friends and more throughout the story. And what a gorgeous story - your little girl will attend a fancy dress ball, dance in a ballet and have tea with the King and Queen when she becomes royalty!

For a chance to win this fantastic personalised book, all you have to do is visit Indigo Magenta on Facebook and "like" Kate's page. Then tell me your favourite outfit from her photo albums. Please comment below this blog post and make sure you leave email contact details to be in the random draw on Sunday 16th January at 9.00pm (NSW). (You can email me your contact details if not included or attached to your comment). I will email the winner and also let you know on my FB page.

Ballerina Princess
Deluxe Personalised Children's Book
$21.50 each with free shipping for delivery within Australia only.
Available now from Jelly Bean Books.

Ballerina Princess - more beautiful handmade clothes ♥

Now that Christmas has been and gone and the new year has begun, it is time to showcase some more gorgeous handmade outfits made by the many talented ladies I have met on Facebook.

I managed to get some sunshine in Canberra to take photos of Julia (Miss Four) in her beautiful new dresses and skirts, including some special Christmas outfits.

This beautiful skirt was made by Tina at Georgie Girl. Whilst perhaps best known for her wonderful ruffled nappy covers, she also caters for bigger girls with beautiful skirts, tops and dresses. Her fabric combinations are bold and bright.

Another Christmas outfit, a gorgeous Christmas skirt and matching brooch by Bev at Butterfly Mama Creations. Bev uses such beautiful lace to finish her creations.

This Christmas dress is by Jayne at Lila's Grace. I love the style of this dress and the fabric combination is beautiful. This one was a last minute Christmas buy because I just couldn't resist!

The last for the day is from Belinda at Pink Giraffe Handmade Clothing. This one was a lucky find from Shelly at La di da Kids. Belinda's gorgeous vintage styling and unique fabrics are just fabulous.

I still have more to show you, and will post again soon. If you missed my last fashion blog post, please take a look here!

Ballerina Princess
Deluxe Personalised Children's Book
$21.50 each with free shipping for delivery within Australia only.
Available now from Jelly Bean Books.

Santa - The Christmas week

The final days of the Christmas Advent calendar were taken up by Christmas baking and preparations for a family Christmas lunch.

Julia (Miss Four) enjoyed some more Christmas cooking this week and a few simple crafts. We made lemon shortbread stars (recipe from Huggies), choc-coconut Christmas balls and mini chocolate puddings. An easy craft was lolly baubles (from Spotlight), we made Christmas crackers (inspired by All Things Kids) and Julia helped with wrapping the presents by making colourful handmade gift tags.

Christmas Day with the family was wonderful - my brother and his family travelled to Canberra from Sydney and Julia had such a lovely time with her cousins. My Mum made the best pavlova ever and the cheesecake was awesome too :)

I would like to share a few Christmas quotes from Miss Four:

• Listening to Christmas music - "Mum, is this song Away in the Danger?"
• Talking about the people in the nativity scene - "I know a song about Mary - Mary had a Little Lamb".
• Singing Jingle Bells - "Bells on cod-tails ring".
• "Mum, do you think that Wee Willie Winkie could be a helper for Santa? He could tell Santa when all the kids are in bed."

 Getting ready for the new year now!

Santa
Deluxe Personalised Children's Book
$21.50 each with free shipping for delivery within Australia only.
Available now from Jelly Bean Books.

Santa - Christmas Advent Calendar (Week 3)

Incredibly the enthusiasm for the Christmas Advent calendar hasn't waned although the chocolates are mostly being left for me to eat - it seems that when you are four years old there is such a thing as too much chocolate!

Julia (Miss Four) has been having lots of fun with some easy crafts and more Christmas cooking this week. She did some ornament decorating - a Santa plaster ornament and some wooden frame ornaments (all from Spotlight). I think Santa looks like he's been down one too many chimneys! Then she had some friends over to play so we made some more Christmas angels.

Christmas cooking included marshmallow puddings which we wrapped up for gifts, shortbread, gingerbread shapes and some more Vanilla Kipferl.

Now we're on the home stretch for Christmas!

Santa
Deluxe Personalised Children's Book
$21.50 each with free shipping for delivery within Australia only.
Available now from Jelly Bean Books.

Santa - Christmas Advent Calendar (Week 2)

The Christmas Advent calendar is still in motion - Santa's elves haven't yet forgotten to load up the stocking each night and I have somehow managed to fit in a Christmas activity each day.

Julia (Miss Four) has been bouncing out of bed to find her activity card and chocolate each morning and this week we have done some craft and some Christmas cooking.

We started the week making a Christmas bauble, then some decorations for the tree using Crayola Model Magic (it's really wonderful - not messy and it airdries). We decorated some boxes to be used for gifts, and made some decorations from beads and bells.

Some Christmas cooking finished the week - traditional Austrian Vanilla Kipferl and my favourite White Christmas - with marshmallows, mini M&Ms and chopped up jelly snakes. I'm not sure how much of this will make it to Christmas!

I wonder what the elves will have in store for us next week?

Santa
Deluxe Personalised Children's Book
$21.50 each with free shipping for delivery within Australia only.
Available now from Jelly Bean Books.

Santa - Christmas Advent Calendar (Days 1-5)

We are having fun with a Christmas Advent calendar this year using a long row of little stockings I got from Avon last year.

One of Santa's elves brings a surprise each night and leaves it in the stocking - a chocolate (which must be eaten after breakfast!) and a card with a Christmas activity printed on it. Julia (Miss Four) can't wait to check the stockings each morning and counts on them to work out how many sleeps until Christmas Day.

So far we have made a Christmas wreath and Christmas Angels (both of these ideas were from Rhyme Time) a Christmas Tree Sticker Poster and Santa door hanger (crafts from Spotlight) and some stained glass pictures (images from Kaboose).

After my mega shopping trip to Spotlight I have heaps of craft materials, and I love browsing through cooking mags for new recipes, so there's lots more craft and cooking activities to come!

Santa
Deluxe Personalised Children's Book
$21.50 each with free shipping for delivery within Australia only.
Available now from Jelly Bean Books.