Playing in the mud!

It has been raining here in Canberra for the whole weekend which has been wonderful, albeit a bit cold.  So we decided, along with some good friends of ours, that we didn't want to stay indoors today and that it was the perfect time to go for a nice leisurely drive into the Brindabella's.

We set off at around 11am and soon found a good shelter with an open fire pit to keep ourselves warm.

After a tasty lunch of a sausage sizzle we drove on and came upon this sign, which, at the time seemed harmless enough. 

Oh how wrong we were! After 2 days of rain it certainly wasn't gentle or much of trail!

We went down the "trail" (mostly sideways and a little too close to some rather large trees I might add) and after what seems like hours for my poor white knuckles and raging blood pressure we finally made it down to Flea Creek.  There were some excellent amenities there (which I took immediate advantage of) and a beautiful flowing creek.

 

And then it was time to head back home...the same way we came in!  I really wasn't looking forward to this.  At least when we were coming down I could see where we were going to potentially fall!

Our 4WD really struggled in some places and we had to make several stops along the way in very sticky mud.

So at the end of the day I ended up with guaranteed nightmares tonight, 2 wet,muddy and tired kids, 1 very muddy car, some great photos of the day, my husband and friends having a good laugh at my expense, 2 loads of washing and...

Luckily my boots are the ones on the right:)

I'll have a Grande Skinny Latte!

I love a good cup of coffee! Although in my job (the one I get paid regularly for doing and includes great holidays and sick leave) I barely have enough time to finish a cup. And now with all the rules associated with safety we are not permitted to walk around with a cup of coffee and take it back to our desks (I know, when will it all end - surely the "fun police" have ruined everything by now). So of course the solution is to use a travel mug. Well I've decided to put my spin on the often boring or logo-laden mug.

This particular one is going to a special friend of mine who is surviving on copious amounts of caffiene at the moment.  I hope she likes it!

These mugs are 470ml or 16oz and are made by Bodum, so their quality is assured.  I can personalise them for you - what a great present for the men in your life?  I know Father's Day isn't until August, but it will be here before we know it!  And it will certainly stop any arguments as to who owns it.  Let me know if you want one too!

All Hemmed Up!

I have a constant battle with Miss M about her clothes, but it's not a battle about style or colour.  Our battle is that when we buy clothes (especially jeans and trousers) they usually fit around the top, but the bottoms ALWAYS need hemming.  Miss M is 5 years old, but fits into a size 10!  She is very tall for her age as well.  I recently bought her a pair of size 12 (!!!!!!!) jeans.  Current fashion dictates that skinny jeans be the only choice available to consumers in the shops (arrrrgh!) which both Miss M and I are NOT built for.  We've had the discussion, dealt with this disappointment in our lives and moved on. 

The jeans fit her really well around her waist, but the length in the legs was way too long.  I love the hemming that is on the bottom of store bought jeans and no matter how hard I have tried to re-create it at home, thus far I have been unsuccessful.  So, I have come up with the perfect solution where I can shorten the length of the leg while keeping the original hem!  "How does she do it?"I hear you ask.  Well read on...

Firstly I measured how much length we needed to lose (10cms!).  I folded the hem up, pinned it together up near the top (I'll get to the reason why a bit later) and made a chalk line 5cms from the fold line.

Then I cut the excess away with sharp scissors (and a strong hand!) and sewed the new edges together with the overlocker, hence the pins up the top. *Note: Pins + Overlockers = Not Good!*

After that we raided the expansive collection of ribbons and chose a wide ribbon and pinned it in place over the top of the new seam and then stitched it in place along the top and bottom of the ribbon.

Here's the finished product - cute jeans with a ribbon trim!  No-one would ever guess how much needed to be cut off and now they fit perfectly :)  And the best part is the jeans only cost $10 and the ribbon $2.

Exclusive Shopping Event - Meet the Designer!

Still haven't bought anything for your Mum for Mother's Day?  I know I haven't!  I'm off to Shop Handmade tonight to look at some goodies and might have to get something for myself while I'm there - well why  not??!!  I'll be there for another reason as well.  Tonight Shop Handmade is holding an exclusive late night shopping event where you can meet with the designers and enjoy a glass of bubbly.  I can't imagine a nicer way to spend a Friday night.  Hope to see you there!