Thanks so much to Yoonie for this great Pattern and Tutorial to Make a Snoogem. If you haven’t made a softie yet, have a go, they are so easy. Why not start with this one and then branch out and try drafting your own patterns. This is a great way to start. A homemade softie is the best present to receive – I still have the Raggedy Ann my mum made me, complete with embroidered heart on her chest with : I love M, embroidered in the middle. Awwwww… So make a gift that will be cherished for years to come.

This snoogem can be filled with wheat and potpourri to be used a a heat bag.

Enjoy!

Mia

Do you remember the humbug bag (oops no tutorial, sorry)? Well I was tossing around ideas for the six-year-old’s birthday and I came up with the simple idea of making humbug bags filled with lollies. I love them and so did the princess. I haven’t seen these before. They were great because the children didn’t open them until they got home!

Materials (look at photo above)2 pieces of square paper with different patterns (these are from BiG W)

Sewing thread (use any colour you like)

Lollies/Candy to put in the bag. I divided all the lollies into ziplock snack bags

How To Make

• Take two different sheets of patterned paper.
• Put the paper together with right sides facing outwards.
• Sew together one side of the square.
• When you reach the corner turn the paper 90 degrees and sew the next side.
• When you get to the corner, turn the paper 90 degrees.
• Fold the handle in half.
• Push the handle into the bag and sew the third side.

• When you have three sides sewn and the handle attached, open the bag up with your hands.

• Put the bag of lollies into the humbug.
• Press the edges together as pictured below

• Fold the edges up to the top of the bag.
• Sew along this edge.
• There you have it – A Humbag Party Bag.

The children loved these! They are bright and cheery!

Thoughts?

Mia xx

Ooh another kanzashi. This time as a button on the Bugs Bunny Bag I made a few months ago. Still loving making these!  When I finished the flower I sewed the button onto it and then just to be sure I glued it with my hot glue gun (my latest weapon in crafting).

More goodies to come. The photo tutorial for cute party bags coming soon.

Am already sick of wedding things. It is all going swimmingly but not really my thang.

Smile!

Mia

(The photo above is taken from My Little Mochi, make sure you visit her site!)

Yay! This is an awesome treat. I am glad I visited My Little Mochi today and found her links to Spangle.

Here is the Wikipedia definition for Kanzashi.

Spangle has made a fantastic Photo Tutorial To Make Kanzashi (these photos are in the middle of the set, are you drooling over her little flowers yet?). She has also made a great Video Tutorial to Make Kanzashi.

Check out Kanzashi-Core for the most elaborate, to-die-for Kanzashi I have ever seen. Wow! Here is a photo demonstration of how Kanzashi are used in elaborate Geisha hairstyles. And more elaborate Kanzashi photos. I can’t seem to stop. There are so many gorgeous sites for Kanzashi. Check out these photos. I love these little boxes covered with Kanzashi.

I just can’t wait for the time to make some. Think of all the uses for Kanzashi – flower clips for little or big girl’s hair, decorations for hats, decorations for little boxes, decorations for cute dog collars for those little yappy dogs?, decorations for headbands for little girls, shoes ornaments (oooh I like this idea), brooches, used for elaborate gift wrapping, cushion decorations, cards…..

Thoughts?

I just can’t wait to make these. Will let you know.

Mia

I am just making some now and I have a tip. I am making the petals and then using a washing peg to hold them together. Then when I finish eight I will cut them to the length I want them and then sew them together. This also allows me to mix and match the colours and put them where I think they will look the best. Polka dots look really effective.

Also – this is very easy!

Last night, dinner was a Mixed Bean Salad with a tuna steak.  And the six-year-old was outraged and refused to eat it.  She ended up with toast and cheese!

Mixed Bean Salad

1 Can 3 Bean Mix (next time I will soak the dried beans myself, because I hate how much salt is added to the cans)

1 Corn Cob (steamed and the corn cut off it)

1/2 Red Capsicum chopped finely

1 tomato chopped finely

1/2 red onion chopped finely

1 handful fresh coriander (roughly broken into pieces)

Juice of 1 lemon

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

How to Make

Add the coriander, lemon juice, oil into into a glass an stir it around.

Add all the other ingredients into a bowl and mix, stir in the dressing.  And there it is!  Now how easy was that? 

This is enough for about foiur people and there was oodles left over so I had it for lunch today also!

And here is my WIP.  It is taking a lot longer than an hour but it is easy and so much fun to make.  That is all I am giving away for now.  

When it is finished I will post it under “Slow Craft” on this site.

What is it?  Can you guess?

Also I could do with some more great healthy, fat-free recipes to add to the repertoire. 

Thoughts?

Mia

Just finished dinner.  This recipe is a real treat.   I have been thinking about eating well all weekend and I forgot how fun it is to plan great meals.  I decided at the last minute to go to Subiaco markets this evening.  We sped into the carpark at 5.50pm (it closes at 6pm).  We found that together we had $20.  We grabbed at fruit and vegies, while the owners were busily packing away.  I felt so happy to see that we had bought about 4 bags full of fruit and vegies for that money.  I will be getting back into my old habit of going there each week!

Here is the (not so precise, but trust me it works) recipe for tonight’s dinner…

Apple and Chicken Coleslaw

Ingredients for the Coleslaw

 2 raw chicken breasts (with the skin off, of course) cut into small pieces

1 carrot

1/2 savoy cabbage

1/2 lettuce

1/2 cup bean sprouts

Handful of flat leaf parsley

1/2 red capsicum (pepper)

2 Gorgeous red apples ( I used Pink Ladies)

1 red onion

Ingredients for Dressing

1/2 cup fat-free cottage cheese

3 tablespoons of mayonnaise (fat free)

2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard

Method

Poach two chicken breasts.  If you have never poached chicken, you are missing out.  It is fat free and tastes moist and lovely.  Just don’t leave it in the frying pan too long!

How to poach:  Turn the stove top onto a high setting. Boil a full kettle of water.  Pour the boiling water into the frying pan, place the chicken pieces in the water and leave to cook.  Make sure that all the chicken pieces are covered with the water.   To check if they are done, take one piece out and cut it open.  If it is cooked through then it is done.  Poaching only takes about five minutes.

While chicken is poaching, grate the carrot, capsicum, lettuce, cabbage, lettuce, onion into a large bowl.

Slice the apples and put into the bowl (cover with lemon juice so they don’t go brown).

Add the bean sprouts and rough broken parsley to the mixture.

When the chicken is done pour it into a small bowl to cool a little. 

Mix up the dressing ingredients and pour over the chicken.

Mix the chicken with the dressing into the coleslaw. 

And serve in bowls. 

Yummy!  

My dad is a nutritionist, so I grew up in a household where there was never any BAD food.   Each Saturday morning, dad would get up early and go to the markets.  He would bring back a case (a huge box) of apples and one of oranges, and more other fruit and vegies than you can believe.  And that was what we ate.   This upbringing has given me a love for fresh fruit and vegies.

It was only actually this year that I started to eat ice cream.  I still never buy sweets for home.  I don’t buy any biscuits, ice cream, chocolate, canned fruit or vegies, cakes, muffins.  We eat only brown bread (well the other two, I don’t eat bread).  I love eating well and the fact that my daughter will only drink water and will eat raw carrots as a treat warms my heart.

Anyway, time to stop yacking and head to bed!

Enjoy!

Mia

(Photo above from Soozs blog)

I love so many of the Steiner concepts.  When my daughter was two I took her to a Steiner playgroup and it was fantastic.  I love the emphasis on teaching children to use their hands to make things from a young age, using natural fibres.  Children at Steiner schools are taught to weave, sew, hand dye, paint, felt, make clay models etc.  A Steiner classroom is a busy, happy, buzzing place.

I can’t wait to use this fantastic Tutorial to Make a Steiner Doll.  These dolls are tiny and I’m sure that little ones will love them.

Comments?

Mia

I just watched “Supersize Me”, for the first time.  I felt physically ill for the first time, my tummy started grumpling.  I still feel nauseous.  But, it did have another effect.  It made me think about all the rubbish I have been putting into my body lately, ickkkkk.  Reality check.

So, in response, I am adding a “Good Food” category to this blog.  I will be including great, fun, healthy recipes which can be made in under an hour.  These will also be filed under “Domestic Goddess”. 

I am also committing myself,  and my little one to a month of nothing but VERY healthy eating.  Fruit, Vegies, Water.  No Junk Food, no Coca Cola.  I am expecting to feel a million times better than I do now, at the end of the month.

Will keep you updated and posted with yummy food.

Mia

PS Am inspired by Vegan Lunchbox.  But am not turning vegan just yet.

Here is the world’s most gorgeous doggy lead!

Do you know how I know??????

Because of Angel’s big smile; she is so happy to be wearing her new lead.

This is a photo of our family dog, the world’s most lovely Border Collie, Angel.  Note the incredible coat.  A combination of good breeding, a wash with Pantene and  raw egg every now and then.

I have wanted to make a gorgeous dog lead for our pooch for the longest time.  It took Anna Maria’s great Tutorial To Make A Dog Lead for me to finally do it.

This was quick.  Honestly, the longest part was choosing the right colours for the lead.  I just didn’t want Angel in colours that don’t compliment her.

Tip:  When you are sewing, and particularly making your own bias binding, make your iron your best friend.  If you take the time to iron it all, the rest is just straight stitching and easy as pie. 

I am going to make some more leads for presents for friends’ doggies.  Will let you know.

Try it out! And please let me know.

Enjoy!

Mia

PS I was going to put this under the “For Kids” category, but I decided not to…..

(Thanks to Ella from Green Beans for the photo above) 

Ooooh aren’t these just the cutest?  I love these cut-out cards.

Check out this Tutorial and Pattern to Make Cut-Out Cards at Green Beans.

These are such a great way to spend an evening and I know that my daughter would love to make these also.

Once you have made this one, why not try and experiment with the patterns and come up with your own?  Like Ella, I too have a paper addiction, which I think I am passing on to my daughter.  One of our favourite outings is to visit card making and paper stores on a Saturday afternoon.

Enjoy

Mia