Manus Fluitis

I think I have the man flu.

No, really.

You know how the phrase "take it like a man" usually denotes someone being brave? I've decided to take it literally. I'm taking my cold "like a man".

Meaning I am laying in bed, whinging that I'm dying. Demanding loudly that things be brought to me and that I can't possibly do ANYTHING.

I'm not normally this sexist. Only when it benefits me. Like when I refuse to take the bin out because it's a man's job. Y' know.

I'm counteracting my manly behaviour by eating these magical healing biscuits. They're made by fairies in a little fairy factory and they kiss each one to give it healing properties. It's true.

If you haven't already seen this video, it's one of my absolute favourites. What can I say? I learnt from the best! Pure gold.....

By the way - it's totally just a cold that I have. But if you tell anyone, I'll sneeze on you.

The Naughty Shorts Experience

When the package you find in your PO box has this name as the sender......

.....you almost keel over from excitement.

When you open it up and this is inside......

 

.....you weep a little. Carefully, so as to not damage your mascara.

You do this to the package......

And feel no remorse.

And then this......

I have never gotten undressed so quickly.

This sight makes me happy...

It's really hard to take photos of yourself in the mirror....

So you take photos with your head chopped off, 

just so you can show how well the shoes go with

the prettiness.

See? No head, just so you can see the dress!

You blow Bec the biggest kiss.......

And make sure that everyone knows where to find Naughty Shorts.

Then you start thinking about which Naughty Shorts creation

you are going to get next....

Hang your Naughty Shorts dress where you can see it at all times.

This dress is so beautifully made, with obvious care and love.

It fits me perfectly and is so flattering.

I am in love.

Slave to technology

My handsfree kit in my car has a really handy function. You press a button and then say someone's name and it calls them.

I have to talk to it in an English accent.

Like, a plummy posh accent. If I talk in Ozstraylian it calls "Doctor" instead of "Mum".

I am a slave to technology.

But I kinda like it. The other day, I was listening to one of my Christian O'Connell Breakfast Show podcasts (seriously funny London radio show) and they said that research has shown that people on average check their phone 34 times a day. I guess that means I am above average then! **blows on nails and buffs on shirt**

Actually, hang on, why do we huff on our nails, then polish them on our clothes to show that we've done a good job or are proud of something. WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!?! I have been doing that my whole life and it only just occurred to me how stupid it is! Does it mean, "Hell yeah, I achieved THAT and I didn't even ruin my manicure"? or "How good was that!?! Now I'm just going to buff my nails for the next time I need to save a child/stop world poverty/remember to clean the lint filter in the dryer before putting on the 1,200th cycle of never ending stupid washing"?

Once again, I am off topic.

I am most definitely a slave to technology. I LOVE it! I'm a gadget girl, through and through. I am sitting at my desk typing on my 24inch Mac desktop, I have my iPhone next to me, my iPod connected to my computer and I can see my iPad in the kitchen. I love checking in, I love being up to date and I love hearing from people. It was probably a natural progression that I have an online business - now I have a legitimate excuse to be glued to the screen!

Surely, I'm not the only one? Actually, I know I'm not - there is this guy....he makes me feel like I'm not alone!

Oh the humanity!

Conversation between me and the receptionist at the chiro. We were talking about Masterchef.

Her: "Ohhh....what did you think about...."
Me: "Hang on, don't say anything. I've been away for 9 days so I'm catching up on the episodes I've missed. I've taped them all."
Her: "Oh, this was ages ago, you would have seen this already."
Me: "Oooo-k, if you say so."
Her: "What did you think about Hayden being kicked out?"

Long silence.

A tumble weed rolls past.

Me: "I haven't seen that episode yet".


On another note, why does my phone autocorrect the word "bum" to this.....?

What is a B'um? And where do I get my hands on one?

Speaking of bums.....well bummers anyway. My overlocker did a little whoopsie in it's beret (please excuse my awful Frank Spencer from Some Mother's Do Ave Em reference - I've never watched the show yet I feel the need to quote that line on a regular basis. Despite the fact it ended in 1978. And I wasn't born until 1981.)

Sigh.

It's hard being inside my head sometimes.

Anyway, back to the bummer of me being without my overlocker while it gets fixed. **Note to self - don't take sacred machines to be serviced by a man who works in a shed out the back of his house**

I am at a complete loss. I could be cutting things out or doing some prep work but without my overlocker I am hit by the futility of life. And what good is my sewing machine (don't you dare tell her I said this) if I can't finish the edges off?

So instead, I am wasting time on Facey.....and dreaming of the dress that the amazing Bec from Naughty Shorts is making me. It's going to look like this:

But it will be in this fabric:

And I will wear it with these shoes:

I feel better now! You can find Bec from Naughty Shorts here on Facey, here on etsy and her gorgeous blog here :)

I'm off to watch my Some Mothers Do Ave Em box set.

I love mail!

This is what was waiting for me when I got home from 9 days away.

There were bills too but I just chucked them in the bin.

I'm kidding.

I shredded them, then recycled them. C'mon, I'm not that environmentally unaware.

Spotlight here, Spotlight there

Ok, so I have no self control. Pffft, you say. We could have guessed. That's weird, I think. Why are you talking back to me? This is my blog, just read it and shoosh yourselves! You'll get your chance in the comments section at the end.

I buy lots of my fabric online. But I still love Spotlight because I love to see the fabric in person, to touch it and to hold different fabrics together to make a match. Somehow, every time, I spend far too much money.

This is what happens when I go to Spotters.

First of all, I give myself a little pep talk on the way. I say,

"Now, you don't really NEED any fabric, so we'll just look, ok?".

That's a good plan. I'll definitely stick to that.

"I might touch the fabric, but I won't even get a basket. Just looking, maybe a little touching. But no buying. Good."

I square my shoulders and walk through the door and no, I don't get a basket. No.

I get a trolley.

I swear, I don't even know how it happens. I think it's a throwback from my childhood, and something to do with the fact that I want to put the $2 coin in the slot to release the trolley. No big brother around to claim that right this time!

In I go, guiltily pushing my trolley, skimming past the homewares toward my favourite section. And then I'm there. In Fabric Town. Population: me. And some Nana's.

Instant fabric coma.

I walk. Very. Slowly. Past. All. The. Fabrics.

And then back again.
And again.

I look at them suspiciously....they're definitely winking at me.

And then....I touch one. And it's all over. I'm like a whirling dervish twirling around, flinging fabrics into my trolley, the matching threads, a packet of pins that I want just because they have pink flowery ends, ooh pinking shears...why, hello tape measure with a pig shaped case! Sale table? Don't mind if I do! Buttons? Sure, chuck em in! Wadding? Sure! Never used it before, probably won't ever? Never mind, in it goes.

And then it's all over. I take my ticket and line up to get my fabric cut. Eyeing off the other trolleys around me to see what they've got. At this stage, one of the sweet little Nana's inevitably asks me why I have so many fabrics. At which point I end up either giving them a business card or showing them photos of what I make. Shame? Never heard of it.

The ladies at the counter seem to be trying to take longer than each other to finish their current customers...they wouldn't be trying to avoid me would they? And then my number is called, my fabrics are cut and I'm out the door, my Spotlight card crammed with new points!

I go home, read this tutorial and organise my new fabrics to look like this.

I don't really.

This is what I really do.

Shopping at Spotlight counts as exercise, right?

It's a boy's life

I had a lovely liker on Facey ask me yesterday why I don't make boy's clothes, particularly seeing as I have the perfect model in the shape of my son. A great question, which I feel can be answered with this photo:

My child + food or drink = spillage. He takes after his father who constantly has a collection of smudges on the exact same spot of his tops. It's cute. When it's not on clothes I have made. It's easy to ignore the stains...I just squint and avert my eyes when I hang their clothes up. Also works well for ignorning creases, missing buttons, mismatched socks etc. I can go on. Suzy Homemaker, I am not.

But I digress.

I like to pretend that each bit of Yumminess clothing goes to pink princesses that tiptoe lightly through life, completely smudge free and perfectly presented at all times. They don't miss their mouths and spill milk everywhere. They drink their babychinos with a pinky in the air and nibble the accompanying marshmallow delicately. NOT shove in it their gob and make a grab for the sugar packets on the table, while dragging their sleeves through their eggs. Isn't that right?!

Don't shatter my dreams ladies.

In all seriousness though the reason why I don't make boy's clothes (and by the way - boy's clothes are not ruled out completely at Yumminess HQ, it's just not happening right at this moment) is because quite simply - my life is FILLED with boy stuff. And I love it, I truly do. But after a long day of trucks and hammers, getting to sit down with some seriously feminine fabric and creating something frou frou is what inspires me. And to me, it's so important to remain inspired to keep the Yumminess coming!

Plus, it gives me a chance to support other businesses who do make yummy boy's things, like these amazing businesses....please click on their name to find their site :)

Little Red Child - Facebook page

This is actually Alby's - we love it! :)

  

Oh Deer Me! Boys & Girls handmade pieces - Facebook page

We own TWO of these!

Furious Kingston - Website

Furious Kingston - Facebook page

How can you NOT love this!?

Boystrous  - Website

Boystrous - Facebook page

Tractors rock!

Jonny and Delilah  - Website

Jonny and Delilah  - Facebook page

Cute!

  

 Little Toot Creations - Website

Little Toot Creations - Facebook page

My little man in action :)