flying solo

we stumbled our way through the security checks with soft toys and backpacks. 

slowly wound our way past tourists and sympathetic flight attendants to our seats.

eventually got every kid buckled, then ground gave way to air.
the kids did awesome and Sawyer slept most of the way.
so lovely to be back on the southern coast with my sister and her sweet babies 
x

opposite ends

hi friends!

over the next 2 days we're making the trek from the Far North to the Deep South.

JR is driving us to Auckland today and then me, and the five kiddos, are going solo the rest of the trip.

(i am trying to be very brave and positive about flying all alone with an armful of baby, a wandering 2 year old who is prone to tantrums, and 3 others!! eeek)

we will be spending the week with my older sister and her 3 babies and we pretty much couldn't be more excited! 

xo

courage|comfort dolls :: a gift

this give away has come about as a result of a few things - 1. the recent discovery of 'courage dolls' (a doll made specifically to provide courage, especially during medical treatment) 2. the recent heartbreak of children who are now without a parent this Christmas 3. our love of leaving love notes.

our family decided to make 2 girl dolls and 2 boy dolls (not pictured) to give away to four NZ kids who are in need of some courage or comfort this Christmas. kids who may be undergoing intensive medical treatment, or whose parents have recently separated, or who have been bereaved of a parent, or similar.
in our family we love giving nighttime notes, so i have included pockets especially for messages (or prayers) of love, truth and hope to encourage young hearts.

and to spread the courage|comfort further, a wonderfully generous friend has offered to donate 4 of her kitties (with note pockets!) also. so kind.

so, if you know a child whose spirit could use a little bolstering this Christmas, please email me at the address above before the 3rd December and (if appropriate) our family will select eight recipients together.

xo

impromptu

an impromptu photo shoot this morning with sleepy eyes, a dirty mirror and no make up.

this precious guy has been earthside for 9 months.

happy year and a half x

(and yes, the chins still make an appearance from time to time ;) )

our {far north} home

 

i'm trying to embrace this 'season' of limited internet and blogging, but truth be told i really, really miss the contact with so many of you lovely, encouraging mamas. i think we're about halfway through our second northland stay now but this time we have our own mailbox and our own house. it's a lovely old home filled with loads of white paint and gorgeous wooden floors.

(needless to say, my inner Dottie Angel is having a blast while staying here!)

we are doing really well. actually, much better. it's been a year of such fantastic opportunities and experiences but has also been the hardest of my life. we're grateful for every bit of it though, and it feels nice to be slowly coming back around to our "new normal".

i would love to invite you in for a coffee and chat further...but my internet usage has already been gobbled up for now.

until next time, friends!

xo

{dee.i.y} put a bow on it

 i haven't worn a sweater since the 90s and i thought it was time to go there again so i bought this sweater from the local oppy for $1.50. here's how i added a bow..

1:: make a lonnng 'ribbon' and pin it at the center on the middle of your sweater.
2:: start folding - on the left side fold OVER.
3:: on the right side, fold your ribbon UNDER.
4:: keep pinning until happy with the shape.

 5::while keeping the right side of your bow pinned, carefully lift it up and thread the centre piece on (6) (note: i sewed the centre together at some stage to hold it secure)

pin the right side back onto your sweater and sew carefully all around both edges of the ribbon. and you're done!

do you like it? 
or did i just turn a perfectly good boring-but-comfy sweater into a nana top?
oh dear...

dee.i.y:: sleeve bibs

you know this age when they want to hold their own food but make so.much.mess?? no matter how high i yank up Sawyer's sleeves, they still get banana mush on them and i don't know HOW it has taken me five kids to do (think of) this, but i am SO excited about this diy...BIBS for the SLEEEVES, mamas!!

here's how: 

 trim sleeves off an unwanted or thrifted top. i used polar fleece. it wins for this purpose.

 i did regular elastic around cuff and the adjustable type on the upper arm (to make it easier to pull on)

the messier the food, the better!

they work so great.

hurrah!!

look who got stuffed!

you may (or may not) remember the 'get stuffed' competition i held on the Tiny Eyes Facebook page a few weeks ago. these are the winning outfits and my interpretation of them.

these ladies will have first dibs on the dolls, otherwise they'll be added to my Felt shop along with the rest of my Dee*Luxe dolls.