new beginnings

I'm BACK! 

you can now find me @ LOVE & RUMMAGE 

my new page is a work in progress (as always) come and follow 

my passion for art, design & all things thrifted.

x jade 

loving life

passing time........wow have i passed  some, my goodness its been 4 months since i last posted. how unkind of me to not even let you know that my beautiful no'2  was a happy healthy bouncing baby girl.

Isabella Star was born on 11.1.11 at 9.18 am after many hours of labour and yet another emergency ceasarian. She is now 3 1/2 months old and an adititue to boot. what an absolute joy she is and her big sister Nina still cant stop kissing her.

(minutes old)

she feeds well (as i sit here typing with a babe attatched to my boob) she cat naps through out the day which leaves me with not alot of me time but at least she is sleeping through the night and i feel like i have control of my life as i get a good 7 hrs sleep. if i dont get  enough sleep our entire household falls apart.

we are moving house this weekend and i cant wait! since Issy came along our house has folded in half & there just isnt a lot of room, our new home is wonderful and i am busting at the seams to create my new home. i love a blank canvas........furniture placement, picture hanging, tea cup displaying

til then i leave post open ended to be back as soon as i am able, with pics and posts about babies, kids, decorating & just being a mum.............

note to self: buy a new camera before i miss out some important mile stones

passing time.......

today i sat and just watched the clouds pass me by.

day 5 of braxton hicks & false labour starts...............

holiday DIY with the kids

cement planter made from recycled packaging

1. Collect recycled food packaging for molds. Pay attention to unusual shapes. Wash them and spread out to find proportional molds. For instance, a cottage cheese container in an ice cream container works well.

2. Combine the dry cement mixture in a plastic bucket using one part cement, and 4 parts vermiculite. Use gloves when mixing. 3. Slowly add water as if you were making dough, being sure to add the last part of water slowly. Humidity can affect how much water you need. It should be the consistancy of peanut butter. (It looked too dry to me but you will be suprised.) The mixture should clump in your fist and hold its shape. We used a drill to mix the materials but a shovel will work if you don’t have one. Be sure to wash it immediately after mixing. 4. Transfer mixture to one of your recycled containers. 5. Tap the container on your work space to make sure it settles in until the top is flat and even.

6. Push a smaller container into the larger one. Remove the displaced cement mixture and put it back in your bucket. I like to put it in off center to give it that cool modern look.

7. Place the sheet metal on top and flip it over. Move the container back and forth to get the top nice and flat. Leave to dry for at least 24 hours

8. To remove the molds, tear off the outside mold if it is paper or use a knife to cut off plastic molds. Pull out the inside mold with pliers.

9. Sand the edges smooth 10. To create drainage, drill holes in bottom. Let dry for at least two days before drilling.

11. Plant a succulent! Enjoy!

to see a pictorial version pop on over to ready made . there are loads of other fabulous projects to try, the site is CHOKA block of inside, outside, craft etc..DIY projects, some are a little daggy but its kind of nice to wander through a site that is not awsum in its styling and just to find that sometimes SIMPLE is all it takes to get your kids / your creative minds working :)

happy holidays everyone xoxo

xmas spirit

(unknown source)

from here

i am not really feeling the xmas spirit right now. i am hoping today will be a day of no  braxton hicks, the last 3 days have seen me hanging on to benches and door openings to brace myself only to have false labour starts after a few hours. there are things to be done before baby no'2  arrives and i am truly hoping i can get through to the new year without dropping this load.

i have done most of my xmas shopping, there are still plenty of things to do. my xmas decorations are a half hearted attempt (but nina still thinks they are wonderful) i managed to make some xmas bunting from my nanas doilys, tea towels & aprons, nina made a wreath out of ? stuff but i would love the one pictured.

so hopefully today i can finish my shopping and xmas decorations without any interuptions from no'2. 

nurturing my soul

from here

nurturing my soul.....online that is

it's been quite a while my dear blog since i last posted!

the count down is on with 27 days to go to my due date. my dearest lil bambino will soon arrive and i have soooo much to do! my studio/nursery room is in an absolute shambles......i started the transformation about 2 weeks ago and i have left it in a bigger mess than what it started out.

i have been busy with custom orders the last few months but i am sorry to say that i have now packed away my fabrics and machines and will not be sewing for a little wee while.

i have been distracted by my new online obsession PINTEREST it's like creating your own magazine. for years i have cut and pasted my lil lovey lust pictures and inspirations into journels NOW it's all in one place. here are a few of my fave pics, go and have a look at my pins if you dare......i guarantee if you have an insatiable lust for pretty photos, craft, interior design etc you too will become addicted (all photo links will take you to my curated boards, from there you will be able to view the source) click on the BOARDS to see each collection of my favorite pics.

from here

from here

much love xo j

a creative painting space

an unfinished canvas & a big mess of metho, brushes, oil paints.

 i love that there is no straight lines, no hems to iron or zips to place. a creative mess in progress - i spend a little bit of time every other day playing around with the metho & washing back the previous colour, messy but fun :)

for more creative peeps pop on over to here