Cinderella Story

Their version: Fairy Godmother works her magic. Pumpkin turns into carriage. Girl looks beautiful. Step sisters get their just desserts.

Our version: Sisters work their magic. Girl turns into pumpkin. Girl looks beautiful. Girl makes spooky cakes for dessert!

Actually, I hardly helped at all with this costume as I kept zoning out from lack of sleep ;)

But I wanted to show it off anyway.

You can see more details and pictures of my sister Lauren here, and have a look at some other costumes we've made here.

For 30 minutes

I left the dishes on the sink.

I left the tidying of toys and pencils and play dough.

I left the washing waiting to be sorted.

I lay down.

I watched.

I enjoyed.

Him.

He smiled.

He cooed.

He smiled some more.

He looked at me and didn't change focus.

His eyes smiled.

Then they grew tired.

Then they closed.

Then the light shone across his cheek,

and made his hair look so soft,

his eyelashes look so long,

and his lips look so delicate.

Asleep in perfection.

Manna

In the first month after Zeb's arrival we were blessed with food from Heaven! Friends and family brought us beautifully prepared meals four nights a week. Help on the doorstep right in the middle of horror hour. A dream for the busy Mum.

In the 6 months leading up to this time, I was able to provide for my Mum friends in the same way. And it was fun! I baked so much but I have only a few random photos of the goodies (I'd usually pull my baking out of the oven, package it, and walk straight out of the door to deliver it)! I thought I'd post the few that I managed to snap amongst my thank-yous...

Big thank-you Deanna!

Thanks Jayde, Keith & Lauren.

Thank-you to Sam, Dale, Ange and Martine.

And to Bec, Zoe, Mel D, Debbie, Mandy, Tracey and Mel W.

We were fed and happy because of your help!

What to do with blue?

This is the first time that I've had a whole room to dedicate to the nursery, so I wanted it to be gentle, soft and fit for a babe. It's the first time that I've done a children's room without using pink and red, so I also wanted it to be blue, green and very boy. But trains, planes and racing cars just didn't seem right for a boy of ours. So I found some inspiration from this special toy Combi van that Tim was given many years ago, from his Dad. It now sits on the shelf with some Combi friends, some books for boys, and a Z covered in scrapbook paper.

Above the change table (that Tim made for our firstborn 5 years ago) hangs a beachy baby onesie that I love, by SOOKIbaby.

I made this surfboard artwork with scrapbook papers picked up at Spotlight, and some bunting in colours of navy, green, blue, orange and beige.

I sewed decorations (a palm tree, flip flop, surfboard, guitar and another Combi), strung them to a hoop and added a recycled and recovered movement and music device to make this mobile.

Finally, a couple of cosy cushions for the chair, and the room was ready and waiting for our blue bundle to arrive!

I've got mothering in the bag

Well, not really. But I do have this new bag that is filled with gear to help with my everyday mum tasks. The fabric is from Funky Fabrix and the pattern is "The Everything" bag by Amy Butler (which you can find in this book). It took forever to cut out and make which I blame on the many fabric layers, many pieces/pockets, and extreme lethargy in the last trimester of pregnancy! But it is working quite nicely and already boasts a jumble of gold coins for trolleys and not-working pens in the pockets, as well as plenty of crumbs in the bottom. Maybe I do have mothering in the bag after all?