And Nothing Else Matters...

Valentine's Day...

2012-02-09T12:02:00.000+11:00

Well Valentine's Day is next week. And I have just found out that I no longer have to work that night. Yay for me, and yay for Todd too. So now I have thrown myself into planning for the day.

Last year we spent Valentine's Day apart. We did have a pizza skype date after I had his dinner delivered to him on base. And he had flowers delivered for Mia and for me. But not being able to cuddle up and share the romance of the day was a huge downer.

This year is going to be different. We are going to be in the same state, under the same room. Hoorah!

So while I keep trawling for ideas and finalise the menu, here are 14 (yep, super clever aren't I!) of my fave Valentine's ideas.

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Our Holidays - Part One

2012-02-07T14:52:00.001+11:00

I figured before I get into all the new fun for the year, I would share with you some of the fun from our holidays. I'm warning you now, there is going to be photo overload!

Part one is our road trip from Wagga to Sydney. We left bright and early on a Friday morning and were there until early Monday morning. We stayed with my brother-in-law and his girlfriend, we shopped, ate, looked at all the Christmas decorations in the city. It was a fun and enjoyable start to our holidays.

I heart roadtrips!

Ahh Starbucks!

There were some seriously gorgeous decorations, and the Christmas windows at David Jones in the city was beautiful. I liked the return to the traditional windows. Gorgeous. And Santa's Grotto was loads of fun, the kids were seriously amazed by it all.

We found the most amazing gingerbread house. It was incredible. And looked delicious. It was fantastic.

It was also lots of fun keeping an eye out for the fun Santa's around Darling Harbour. The ones over the street lights were the best!

The start to a super fun family holiday. Perfect.

And my fave purchase while in Sydney? The funnest red skinny jeans. I love them. In fact I am wearing them right now. The best part I got them on sale. Love it!

Part Two coming soon.

Well Hello There Blog Land...

2012-02-03T11:54:00.000+11:00

It sure has been a while.

As a family we headed to Sydney and then back to the Gold Coast for four weeks over the Christmas holiday period. I was planning on posting while we were away, but I will be honest the words just didn't come. And I didn't want to tear myself away from time with all the family we had missed so dearly to try and come up with ideas. I was loving and living every moment. So I took a blog break.

We headed back home mid- January with the plan that I would get back into the normal routine and then start blogging again. It didn't happen. The words still didn't come. My head and heart was still in holiday mode. And I wanted to make the most of the last weeks of having Mia home on school holidays. Every moment was precious. She headed back to school this week and this his been the first time I have even switched the computer on.

For a person who, before these holidays, had the computer on all day everyday, this is a huge change. And I have got to say, I don't want to go back to being online as much as I was. I am enjoying this change. Come monday I will be setting up my new blog schedule and there will be some new content and fun things.

I am looking forward to 2012 and the possibilities, both in this blog and in my life.

I feel refreshed, renewed and as though I have re-evaluated what I really, truly want out of my life. And I am going for it.

I apologise for not keeping up to date on here and with what is going on in blog land. Now is the time to catch up! Since there is a huge overwhelming amount of blogs out there, you guys tell me. What are your must reads? Please share them here so I can take a look.

Here's to a fun and fabulous 2012 for us all.

Local Christmas Party...

2011-12-23T20:43:00.002+11:00

It has been so great this year, we have had lots of fun Christmas activities and parties to go to. One that the babies really enjoyed was put on by the local Bunnings hardware store. There was jumping castles, a fun activity centre, pony rides, facepainting, ornament decorating and fairy floss (cotton candy) all for free.

A perfect way to spend an evening.

This was the sweetest little pony, it was half the size of the rest and his name was Strawberry. Adorable.

Gingerbread Men, Santa's, Christmas Trees and Stars, Oh My!

2011-12-23T08:16:00.000+11:00

One of my favorite things to do with the babies at Christmas time is to bake. I just love it! Here is a popular recipe at our house. We make a few changes to the original recipe, including the addition of cocoa, but as we all know chocolate flavour makes everything better!

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125g butter, at room temperature

100g (1/2 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar

125ml (1/2 cup) golden syrup

1 egg yolk

375g (2 1/2 cups) plain flour

1 tbs ground ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tbs cocoa powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Plain flour, to dust

Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush 2 baking trays with melted butter to lightly grease.

Use an electric beater to beat the butter and sugar in a bowl until pale and creamy. Add the golden syrup and egg yolk and beat until combined.

Stir in the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cocoa powder and bicarbonate of soda.

Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until combined and dough is formed. Wrap in cling wrap and pop in the fridge for around half an hour.

Roll out the dough to about 4cm thick with a rolling pin. A few pats from little hands always makes it better.

Then use cookie cutters to your hearts content. Little ones just love this part. Re-knead all the excess and repeat the process until all the dough is used.

Bake in oven for 10 minutes or until brown. Remove from oven. Transfer to a rack to cool.

Once they are cooled let the children get decorating! This is my fave part. I just love seeing the colorful creations. You can make your own, but these sweet little tubes from the supermarket are perfect for little hands, and you can just pop the cap back on if you don't use it all.

This is Todd's handiwork. Too cute. The kids loved them!

Have fun baking, and trust me you will have fun eating them!

Two Weeks of Handmade Christmas Ideas {Day Ten}

2011-12-17T09:12:00.000+11:00

Welcome to day ten of the Two Weeks of Handmade Christmas Ideas series. I hope you have all loved this series and enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed bringing it to you! Want to catch up on every idea?

day one click here
day two click here
day three click here
day four click here
day five click here
day six click here
day seven click here

day eight click here

day nine click here

Today I have the wonderful and super creative Dana from Wonder Forest with an Anthropologie inspired DIY.

Take it away Dana.

Hello friends! I am Dana and I blog over at Wonder Forest! I also create plush critters and home items under the same name which can be found here! I'm excited to share my Christmas DIY with you today!! During my daily internet browsing, I came across this super cute paper tree over at Anthropologie. The $48 price tag turned my stomach a little bit, and I immediately thought "Hey, I could make that!". So I did. And now I'm going to share it with you! This is a super easy project, it just takes some time to do... but when it's finished you'll be taken aback by how charming this Christmas decor piece is! Here's how it turned out!

You will need: Small wood garden stake Piece of scrap wood for base Music book or similar printed paper Scalloped scissors or paper cutter Cardboard (an old box will do) Hole punch Tree topper ball

Start by attaching your garden stake to a piece of flat scrap wood for the base. All I did was stick a nail through the bottom of the scrap board and hammered the garden stake onto it. You could also use a glue gun.

Grab an old music book and start cutting! I used the scalloped edge option on my handy little paper cutter. I started with squares about 8" in size, and just kept making them smaller as I went along. You will need a whole bunch of these! I made about 10-20 squares of each size.

Next, cut some small 1" cardboard squares. These will be the spacers for your paper tree. You will need a whole bunch of them! Hole punch them all so they can slide easily down the stake. The hole doesn't have to be perfectly centered.

Now all you have to do is start stacking your paper pieces (starting with the largest to the smallest) and placing spacers in between each sheet. I placed TWO cardboard spacers between each sheet of paper because it looked better. I used the tip of a pencil to punch a hole in the center of each paper piece before sticking it on the stake.

Just keep stacking! Keep your papers rotated randomly for that cone effect!

When you reach the top, all you will need to do is stick an ornament on the top! I used a tiny ball ornament and glue guned it upside down onto my stake!

That's all there is to it! Easy project!! The most tedious part is cutting all of the paper, but the end result is worth it!

Isn't it awesome! Thanks so much Dana, make sure you all head on over and say hi!

Two weeks of Handmade Christmas Ideas {Day Nine}

2011-12-16T21:05:00.000+11:00

Welcome to day nine if the Two Weeks of Handmade Christmas Ideas series. The last eight days have been awesome! Want to catch up on all of it? Here's how you can.

day one click here
day two click here
day three click here
day four click here
day five click here
day six click here
day seven click here
day eight click here

Today I have the wonderful Emily from Nap Time is My Time with a really great idea for all of without fireplaces and chimneys for Santa to make his entrance.

Take it away Emily!

Hello! I am very excited to be sharing this fun - and easy - Christmas craft with you. When Em asked me to participate in her series, I knew that I wanted to share this project with you.

And it was the motivation that I needed to complete it.

My childhood home did not have a fireplace. Each year, I wondered how Santa would come in. My parents always told me that Santa was magic, and he would get it the house somehow. What a cop out! { Sorry mom and dad. But your answer was l-a-m-e!}

I feel that I should mention that our home does have a fireplace, however we do not use it as it is not very efficient because of where it's placed in our home. So, it would be quite easy for Santa to scoot down our chimney without burning his boots on ashes.

Don't you think that Santa needs a key to your house if you don't have a fireplace, or have one but don't use it? Me too!

Santa's Key

To make your own, you'll need a printer, green (or red) scrapbook paper, glue, ribbon, single hole punch, and a skeleton key. You can purchase a skeleton key from your local locksmith or hardware store. I received a discount when I purchased mine as the one I chose was not cut correctly. Evidently, skeleton keys are still used for actual locks - not just craft projects!

Type (and print out) the following poem:

‘Twas the night before Christmas

I am excited as can be,

This year Mommy and Daddy told me

About a special key.

You can shimmy down the chimney

Or tip toe through the door

Use the magic in this key

To find cookies and more!

Print it out and adhere it to your scrapbook paper using glue. I used glue dots on the corners as I find them to be less of a mess than traditional glue.

Punch a hole in the top, slide skeleton key onto ribbon and slide ribbon through the hole. Be sure to tie a secure knot. Easy peasy, right? Here's another look:

Thanks again, Em, for inviting me to participate. Merry Christmas, Everyone! If you have time, I'd love for you to swing by my blog where I share my adventures with The Boy, the eco-friendly choices I make for our family and current events related to motherhood and parenting. Right now, there are a bunch of giveaways going too! You can also find me on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and Pinterest.

I just love this idea! Super fun, and perfect for us since we don't have a fireplace. It's definitely going to make things alot easier for Santa this year! Make sure you head over to Emily's blog and say hi!

Two Weeks of Handmade Christmas Ideas {Day Eight}

2011-12-14T22:21:00.000+11:00

Hi all! Welcome to day eight of the Two Weeks of Handmade Christmas Ideas series. There has been so much goodness already, don't miss out catch up on all the fun.

day one click here
day two click here
day three click here
day four click here
day five click here
day six click here
day seven click here

And don't forget to enter the J&Ms Eye Candy giveaway! Super low entries so your are in with an awesome chance of winning a $20 goodie bag from their store. Click here to enter.

Today I am so thrilled that we have the amazing Mindy from Marigold Road, with a fantastic calendar!

So take it away Mindy.

Hi, I'm Mindy Harris, owner of MarigoldRoad. I am a Kansas native, bride to my high school sweetheart, and mother of two. I launched my blog, www.marigoldroad.com, 4 years ago, to chronicle my first pregnancy. But my current writing focus is to promote community through inspirational posts and crafty/confectionary presentations. My Etsy shop, also termed MarigoldRoad, offers handmade wool felt headbands, hoop art, and yarn wreaths, all of which incorporate vintage materials, and are crafted in the wee hours of the night. You can also shop there for mid-century vintage decor & housewares.

It's such a pleasure to be guest posting on Em's very adorable blog, and I'm excited to share this cute calendar with you today.

This year I wanted to make my two kiddos a special calendar that tells the story of Christmas in a Biblical way.

I found the verses and little token for each day all set up at this blog.

Then I used various materials, including vintage wrapping paper, that I already had, to make a cute, unique calendar.

First I covered a bulletin board in vintage wrapping paper. I used hot glue to affix it, and X-acto knifed the edges for a fairly clean look.

Then I cut out 25 circles in two different kinds of paper (brown and red, 50 total) and glued them, layered, in even lines across the bulletin board.

Then onto each circle I glued a mini-clothes pin. The clothes pin holds each little parcel. I made the clothespins by gluing glitter and scrapbook paper to the top of each.

Each clothespin also has a circle glued to the end with the number of that day on it.

Lastly I wrapped each "token" and corresponding verse in brown paper, tied with baker's twine.

I also made a Merry Christmas sign to attach to the board. Just burned some brown paper. The house smelled good!

Your children will have a blast opening a treasure each day and hearing a little from Scripture about why Christmas is so awesome!

Thanks for having me, Em!

xoxo

How awesome is this? I love it! Thanks Mindy, make sure you all stop by her blog and say hi.

Two Weeks of Handmade Christmas Ideas {Day Seven}

2011-12-14T00:01:00.002+11:00

Welcome to day seven of the Two Weeks of Handmade Christmas Ideas series! Want to catch up on all the awesome ideas? For day one click here, day two click here, day three click here, day four click here, day five click here and day six click here.

There is still time to get your entries in for the J&Ms Eye Candy giveaway, so click here to get your entries in.

Today we have the awesome and creative Caroline from Good Times Never Seem Sew Good. Remember my awesome paper bag skirt.

Yah I love it too, well Caroline is the creative genius behind it. Want to make your own? Click here for the tutorial. You're welcome.

Now take it away Caroline!

Hi Friends! My name is Caroline and I am the crazy person behind the shop Cotton Lane and the author of the blog, Good Times Never Seem Sew Good. When I'm not blogging about my life a as a newly wed, DIYs, fashion (sort of), and other tid bits, I am either busy creating fresh goodies for my handmade shop or working non stop at a local fabric store. Are you tired yet? :)

I am so excited to be guest posting for Emily today!
I can't wait to show you how to make these simple felt stockings.

first, gather your supplies. You'll need about a yard total of felt and all the embellishments you'd like!
Also, you'll need scissors, hot glue gun, and a sewing machine.

First, cut out your stockings. Two of each color. I free-handed mine, but I know there are tons of resources out there for stocking patterns!

then, top stitch around the edge of the stockings leaving the top open. Using a fun decorative stitch makes it super cute!

Then, measure out and cut your cuff...

and sew the end together right sides together.

Place the cuff around the top of the stocking.

glue (or sew) the cuff on.

and there are your stockings! You can stop here OR add some more pizzaz!

I got some gold cording & glued down the first letter of mine & my husband's names.

ta-da! aren't they cute?

I just love the way they turned out and it took less than an hour!

Happy crafting,
Caroline

Two Weeks Of Handmade Christmas Ideas {Day Six}

2011-12-13T20:32:00.000+11:00

Welcome to day six of the Two Weeks of Handmade Christmas Ideas series.

Want to catch up on all of the festive goodness? Head here, here, here, here and here. And make sure you get your entries in to win a $20 goodie bag from J&Ms Eye Candy shop. Click here so that you don't miss out!

Today I am sharing with you some really simple hand stiched fabric ornaments. Using the same principle you can make any shape you like and decorate with just about anything. I stiched the buttons on but you could just as easily use hot glue and stick them down.

All you need for these sweet hearts are some scraps of fabric, some short lengths of ribbon, lace or twine, a little stuffing to pad them out and some buttons or similar for embellishments.

Simply cut out the heart shape x 2. If you are sewing on your embellishments you do this now, using glue for yours? You can do that at the end!

Now begin hand stitching (I stiched mine in crosses) at the bottom most point. Work your way towards the top, but stop just before you get there. Make a loop out of a piece of ribbon or lace and place the open ends of the loop inside the layers of fabric at the top centre of the heart. Continue stitching around the shape, your loop with be held in place.

About half an inch before the bottom, stop and stuff. then continue to stich up the remaining gap. Done! They are super sweet and can be made in just a few minutes from items you have laying around. Perfect!

Head back tomorrow for a gorgeous felt stocking tutorial from the awesome Caroline at Good Times Never Seem Sew Good. And don't forget to enter the J&Ms Eye Candy giveaway!

Two Weeks of Handmade Christmas Ideas {Day Five}

2011-12-09T22:45:00.000+11:00

Welcome to day five of the Two Weeks of Handmade Christmas Ideas series. Want to catch up? For day one click here, for day two click here, for day three click here and for day four click here.

Today we have the fantastic Kristine from J&Ms Eye Candy here today with a really great craft and a fantastic giveaway. Get your entries in you don't want to miss out!

Take it away Kristine!

Hello And Nothing Else Matters lovelies!!!

K, aka Kristine, here from J&M's Eye Candy Blog and Shoppe

I'm Momma to two M&M girls, aka Maggie and Mia, and wifey to "the Hubs," aka Nate.

Wifey. Momma. Rockstar (wink wink).

I am so thrilled to be guest posting here today for Em, and so honored she asked us to join in on the fun!! She has such inspirational, relate-able posts and HElLo!? She's crafty to boot!! Love Em and her cute blog, and so glad I can be a part of this event!

My sister in law Britney and I started our blog in May of this year, as a place where we can collectively archive our projects and share it with others like you.

Since then Our blog has really evolved into so much more! We share just about everything on our blog; from recipes, mom tips, fashion, home decor, and crafty ideas + tutorials.

Most importantly we like to keep it real. Read more about that here.

We are two Stay at Home Momma's.

Sister in Laws by chance, friends by choice.

Lovers of creating and enjoying life!

We opened up our Etsy shoppe soon after our blog, there you will find an eclectic mix of handmade sweetness for ladies and sprouts. We love making pretties for our girls, and love being able to create custom pretties for others like you. Below are some examples of some custom Eye Candy I've made:

"J&M" stands for Jayden and Maggie, our two little ladies. They both inspire us everyday.

Lately ~~I've~~ we've been busy! Aren't we all!? Add in "the busiest time of year," and this Momma is doing everything she can to just stop and enjoy the Christmas season.

With that said I made up the fun idea/project below:

Our "Happiness is... Giving" Advent Calendar of Sorts

There's SO many fun things to do this time of year! I've done our Summer and Fall Bucket Lists projects before, but wanted something to hang in our home instead.

Not only does the list include our "Winter Bucket List," but sprinkled in are Random Acts of Kindness to do this Season to really CELEBRATE the Season, and REMIND us of WHY we celebrate it.

Here's some Random Acts of Kindness we will be doing.

Serve food at a local Foodbank

Pay for the meal of a person behind us in the Drive-thru

Bring Poinsettias to the hospital

Bring goodies to our local Police and Fire Depts

Make hair pretties for our local Women's Shelter

Participate in the Angel Tree program

Send goodies to the Soldiers thru Operation Shoebox

Giving flowers to a mom at the grocery store

Compliments to everyone and anyone!!

I would love to hear what Random Acts of Kindness you have done and/or are doing so we can add more to our list!! PLEASE share them with us on our Facebook page! It enters you in for a chance to WIN a prize package worth $20 from our shoppe! Keep reading for more info and details for this GIVEAWAY!

EASY Steps on how to make your very own!

Gather supplies:

Picture Frame

Scrapbooking Paper

Adhesive

Ribbon

Clothespins

Sharpie Marker

Trimmer/Scissors

I used a coordinating line of papers and paper embellishments from Cosmo Cricket to decorate my frame base. Cut and trim your paper to fit the picture holes of your frame. I needed (4) 4x6 "pictures" Embellish papers as you wish. For my "title" I used a matching journal card with the perfect prompt! Under Happiness is... I put "giving" with stickers (sorry no picture with the word).

After placing your paper into the frame, adhere ribbon to the back of the frame. I did (3) strips to fit my clothespins, since there are more than 25. I just used good ole' fashion tape (wink).

Close up of clothespins hanging - I have the activities on the two outter ribbon, and as we complete each one they get moved to the center ribbon.

Close up of hanging frame

And another of the finished product

I hope you not only make one for your own family, but are inspired to go out and DO this Christmas Season. If you make one, please comment with your link below! I would love to see it, and feature you! Let's spread the Christmas spirit, love, and cheer! Hoping we do this all year long, not just this Season.

HUGE THANKS again to Em for having me on her awesome blog!! Much appreciated lovely :)

Stop on over at our neck of the woods sometime! Leave a comment, because we would love to follow you on your adventures!!!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!!

Fall hike with our girls - November 2011

And because it's the Season of Giving, I'm giving away

a fabulous mystery grab bag of pretties (worth $20),

from our shoppe to one lucky reader!!

To be eligible for this GIVEAWAY,

you MUST be a follower of Em's blog (this blog), and our blog.

(we will validate all entries). GIVEAWAY ends one week from today!

To enter "like" our FaceBook page, and leave us a comment THERE, on what YOUR favorite Random Act of Kindness activity is. Can't wait to hear your ideas!! XOXO

Em again, how great is Kristine? Make sure you get your entries in and head on over and show both the fab J&Ms Eye Candy ladies some love. Come back Monday for another fun ornament idea from me!

Two Weeks of Handmade Christmas Ideas {Day Four}

2011-12-08T21:33:00.000+11:00

Welcome to day four of the Two Weeks of Handmade Christmas Ideas series. Want to catch up with all the happenings? For day one click here, for day two click here and for day three click here.
Today we have the awesome Summer from Made By Munchie's Mama here with a super easy and delish recipe for when you are short on time this holiday season.
Take it away Summer!

Hey there! Summer here from Made By Munchie's Mama!

When Em invited me to share something for her Two Weeks of Handmade Christmas, I knew right away what I wanted to share with you all. One of my favorite things about Christmas is warm soup on a cold day...mmmm. I have this amazing Chicken Noodle Soup recipe that takes literally minutes and anyone who has tried it just RAVES about it.
The secret is the noodles that we use. They are the "Grandma's Noodles" from the freezer section at Ralphs. Waaaaaay better that the plain ol' egg noodles. They are chewy and delicious! Once you go Grandma's, you will never go back, I promise!
This would make the perfect Christmas Eve meal or a much appreciated gift for the neighbors!Are you ready to get cookin'?

Easy as that!

Thanks to Em for having me over today!

Head on over to the Made By Munchie's Mama blog to see recipes

like this and much, much more!

Yum right? Don't forget to head on over and say hi to Summer, she is awesome! Come back tomorrow for a super fun craft idea and a fantastic giveaway from Kristine from J & M's Eyecandy

Tag-Along Thursday Facebook Hop {3}

2011-12-08T19:04:00.000+11:00

Welcome to Tag-Along Thursday Facebook Hop! The wonderful ladies who host this Hop are: Nicole @ Miss MommyEm @ And Nothing Else MattersKatie @ Punkin Heads and Dooda LoosLena @ Mom 2 Memphis and RubyJen @ My Adventures Through MommyhoodLacee @ Mommas Like MeBeth @ Through The Eyes of the Mrs What is this "Facebook Hop?" Glad you asked!. It's a super fun way to link up your Facebook page in the section below this post and get more traffic and readers. It's a fantastic way to meet new readers and new friends. This hop is up once a month on the Second Thursday of each month. The rules of the hop are: Follow your hosts - by following the hosts it guarantees a follow back from all of us. Leave us a comment letting us know you are a new follower - we'd LOVE to hear from you and get to know YOU better. NOTE:. Please "like" others business pages with your PERSONAL Facebook account otherwise it won't count in numbers. The hosts are the first 7 Facebook pages linked up in capital letters in the linky section.
Please follow a few others in the hop and leave them a comment saying you came from the Tag-Along Thursday Facebook Hop :). You never know what new friends you will come across and meet.
REMEMBER - This is a FACEBOOK hop. ONLY link up your FACEBOOK page The most important rule - HAVE FUN!!.

Two Weeks of Handmade Christmas Ideas {Day Three}

2011-12-07T23:58:00.000+11:00

Welcome to day three of the Two Weeks of Handmade Christmas Ideas series. Want to catch up with all the happenings? For day one click here and for day two click here.

Today, the fantastic Rebecca from The Crafted Sparrow has an awesome Christmas printable for everyone. And make sure you head over to her blog to see the amazing ruffled christmas tree skirt she made. It is so beautiful!

Take it away Rebecca!

I was so excited when Em asked me to participate in her 2 weeks of

Handmade Christmas Crafts, honored actually! Thanks Em!
I'm a stay at home Mom of 2 stinkin' cute boys.

All my spare time (ha ha when I have it) is spent blogging and crafting. Jewelry, party planning, boutique baby stuff, you name it I probably make it...I have crafting ADD! Ha.

I've decided to make a FREE Christmas Printable to share with all of you!
So get out an adorable frame and start printing!

Simply click on the link below your color choice and print.

Red, Gray & Teal

Red, Green & Gray

Green, Blue & Gray

To see more Christmas crafts, printables and fantastic ideas hop over to my blog at

The Crafted Sparrow.

And thanks again Em for letting me take part in your Handmade Holiday series.

How great are these? The hardest part is choosing which color combo you want! Don't forget to head on over and say hi to Rebecca. Come back tomorrow for a yummy recipe from Summer at Made by Munchie's Mama

Ten Things That Have Made Me Happy Lately....

2011-12-07T14:15:00.000+11:00

This girl. My goodness. I just wish I could bottle her cuteness. I want to scoop her up in my arms and never, ever let go.

This boy. This silly effort of a smile. He is just precious.

Iced coffee. Home-made. Yum.

Hot coffee and blogging. Gotta love a huge mug of coffee.

Seeing my craft room starting to come together. It is taking longer than anticipated as I have a dozen sewing projects on the go and school papers everywhere. But I am getting there.

Getting orders in my shop. Makes me feel so so blessed.

Anniversary indoor picnic feast with Todd. 11 years has gone by in the blink of an eye.

Fresh baked lasagna, half eaten. Reminds me of our full and happy bellies.

The mess and craziness in the craft room, it means I have orders and fun things to make for family and friends.

A box full of lace, ribbons, buttons and all kinds off goodness from my sweet great-aunt. I have so many fantastic ideas for all these goodies.

Linking up here

and here

Two Weeks of Handmade Christmas Ideas {Day Two}

2011-12-07T08:31:00.000+11:00

Welcome to day two of the Two Weeks of Handmade Christmas Ideas series. For day one click here. Today's post is from the awesome Beth from Through The Eye's of The Mrs.
Take it away Beth!

Sharing a bottle of wine is worth saving the memory!My husband & I love to share a bottle of champagne.Especially when we are celebrating.

I always save the corks for some reason.

I can remember the exact moments shared.

The last time we did this it was spring and we talked for hours.

This is a simple tutorial to add memories to your tree.

Supplies

Corks

Twine

Screwdriver

Hot Glue Gun

Poke a hole in the top of your cork.

Tie a knot in your twine & trim off ends after the knot.

Add some hot glue in the hole you poked.

Knot side down push your twine into the hole.

Now wasn't that simple enough?

You could always add a date too.

Thank You so much for having me today Em!

I hope you will all stop by for my series this month

Blog Facebook Twitter Pinterest

Make sure you all head over and say hi to Beth! And come back tomorrow for a great printable from the lovely Rebecca from The Crafted Sparrow. You won't want to miss it!

Two Weeks of Handmade Christmas Ideas {Day One}

2011-12-05T17:10:00.000+11:00

Happy monday everyone and welcome to a super fun series on my blog

I have some amazingly awesome guests over the next two weeks as well as some fun and easy craft ideas from yours truly. So lets start all of the fun with a really easy decoration idea from me!

This is super simple all you need is a little wire to shape into the letters and some long strips of fabric to wrap around! Easy peasy.

It doesn't just have to be letter, shapes work just as well. And you can use twine or yarn instead of fabric strips. So quick, so easy, so fun!

Come back tomorrow for a fun and sentimental ornament idea from Beth from Through The Eye's of The Mrs.

Put a bow in your hair....

2011-12-03T09:00:00.000+11:00

See that awesome cute headband I'm wearing in my photo? Yeah, I love it too. So I guess it's a good thing I'm going to show you how to make one of your own.

Here's what you'll need

3 1/2 inch x 16 inch piece of fabric

3 1/2 inch x 1 inch piece of fabric

1 x 20 inch piece of headband elastic

Hot glue gun

Sewing machine, or you could hand sew the edges. Or you could even hot glue the edges!

Here we go. Firstly fold the large piece of fabric in half and sew along the three open edges, leaving an opening about an inch and a half wide for turning.

Turn out the fabric. It will look like this below.

You will see the opening. You can either stitch closed or simply hot glue closed. Nice and quick!

Next take your length of elastic and hot glue the ends, overlapping by about an inch.

Now take the small piece of fabric. Fold the long edges towards each other and hot glue down. It should look kinda like a tube.

Now fold the large piece of fabric in half again and pinch together from the centre.

Add a glob of glue to the centre of the back of the bow and wrap the small piece of fabric around it (making sure the overlap side is facing inwards).

Glue the partially wrapped bow onto the overlapping section of the elastic headband.

Continue to wrap the strip around the centre, finishing at the back of the headband. It will look like the picture below.

And ta da you are done!

Isn't it gorgeous! Have fun making it, make sure you show me some pictures of your creations!

Family Christmas Treat Party...

2011-12-02T21:00:00.000+11:00

Last friday, the RAAF base where Todd is based hosted its annual Christmas Treat party for all the families. We have been looking forward to it for weeks, being our first proper Christmas season as a defence family. Well the day came and it was pouring with rain. Set in rain.

I was so disappointed for the kids, and myself, thinking it would be cancelled. Luckily for everyone it being a RAAF base, they had an aircraft hanger that they could use as a makeshift party venue. A venue that was big enough to fit some of the rides and activities inside!

Mia braved the rain for a pony ride, she was soaked by the time she was finished!

She had a blast. We all had a blast. There was a jumping castle, a couple of rides, a laser tag area, face painting, barbecue. train rides - thankfully the train had a roof and it was popular all afternoon!

My girl playing laser tag with a bunch of older boys, she looked tiny!

The kids all got to see santa and they all got a present, it was adorable! And the kids thought it was fantastic getting a present before it was even December!

Right at the end of the afternoon we found out that they had an outdoor ride still set up at the original location, of course we had to go take a look. We all got soaked standing in the rain, and once the ride started it was fast. And spinning. Thankfully another little girl want off the ride and Mia took her chance too. I don't think she would have lasted!

We all headed home for hot showers, bed for the kids and then Todd and I settled down with a couple of cinnamon topped hot chocolates. And a Christmas movie. Bliss.

Linking up here

and here

Tag-Along Thursday Blog Hop {3}...

2011-12-01T16:45:00.000+11:00

Welcome to Tag-Along Thursday Blog Hop! The wonderful ladies who host this Hop are: Nicole @ Miss MommyEm @ And Nothing Else MattersKatie @ Punkin Heads and Dooda LoosLena @ Mom 2 Memphis and RubyJen @ My Adventures Through MommyhoodLacee @ Mommas Like MeBeth @ Through The Eyes of the Mrs What is this "Blog Hop?" Glad you asked!. It's a super fun way to link up your blog in the section below this post and get more traffic and readers. It's a fantastic way to meet new readers and new friends. This hop is up once a month on the first Thursday of each month. The rules of the hop are: Follow your hosts - by following the hosts it guarantees a follow back from all of us. Leave us a comment letting us know you are a new follower and reader - we'd LOVE to hear from you and get to know YOU better. The hosts are the first 7 blogs linked up in capital letters in the linky section.
Please follow a few others in the hop and leave them a comment saying you came from the Tag-Along Thursday Blog Hop :). You never know what new friends you will come across and meet. The most important rule - HAVE FUN!!.
You can grab a button if you wish as well :)

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Don't forget that next week is the Tag-Along Thursday Facebook Hop!

Touches of pink...

2011-11-30T22:23:00.000+11:00

Layered singlets - Cotton On
Cardi - Valley Girl
Pink skirt - adapted from this tutorial
Wedges - Target
Pink earrings - Bip and Bop
Necklace - Miss Mommy
Camera Strap - Simply Nothing Else

And because I could not resist the cuteness here is an outfit photo of my babies. Ryan is being crazy and Mia is trying to make him pose. And getting cranky.

Ryan - Jeans and jacket - Best & Less

T-shirt - Kmart

Shoes - brought back from Egypt by Grandma

Mia - Tights and undershirt - Target

Skirt - made by me using this tutorial

Jacket - handed down from my sister

Boots - Grosby's via Big W

Headband - made by me and used as a hair tie

Linking up here

and here

Tuesday 10... I am ___ right now...

2011-11-29T20:21:00.000+11:00

I am still learning who I truly am. But I am enjoying the journey. What I do know is that I am caring, loyal, kindhearted, sensitive, emotional, sometimes hot headed, sometimes irrational. But always striving to be a better person, for myself and for my family.

I wonder where life will take me. Where my husband and I will be in five years, ten years. What my children will be like as they grow and when they are grown. What my relationship with my children will be like when they are adults.

I see so much joy and hope around at this magical time of year. I also see a pile of ironing, dishes that need drying, Christmas cards that need writing and resources that need to be read for my finals.

I want to know that everything will be okay. For the world, for my friends and family. For me.

I pretend that I am strong and always happy and in control. Its my front that I use in this world. I have never used this front with my husband. I never felt the need.

I worry all the time. About everything. I immediately look at the worst case scenario. Thankfully Todd is the exact opposite and keeps me from getting caught up in worry.

I cry when I am frustrated, angry, upset, hurt, sad. And when I don't know how I feel.

I hope for my children to be happy and healthy. Same goes for my friends and family.

I dream constantly. I always want to dream and believe. And I want my children to do the same. No dream is too big. Without dreams, what would we strive for.

I feel blessed in my life. I feel excited. I feel anticipation.

Using the prompts and linking up here

and here

A breakfast muffin, yes please...

2011-11-29T08:14:00.001+11:00

There is nothing better than a piping hot homemade muffin fresh from the oven for breakfast.
Just add my favourite hot or cold coffee and I am a happy girl.

Here are the banana and blueberry muffins that we gobbled up for breakfast on Saturday.

original recipe found here

Here's what you'll need to make these for yourself:

2/3 cup milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 medium ripe banana, mashed

1 egg

2 cups self raising flour

2/3 cup sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed

In a large bowl beat together the mashed banana, milk, egg and oil.

Add all the remaining ingredients except for the blueberries and mix to combine.

Now add the blueberries and gently fold through.

Divide the batter between 12 patty cases, and bake in a 200 degree oven (400 degree f) for 18 - 20 minutes.

Now marvel at the golden beauties you have just baked.

So delicious, quick and easy. Now go bake them and try not to eat them all at once!

The Kindness In Her Heart...

2011-11-26T16:27:00.000+11:00

This girl. She has the kindest, sweetest heart. She loves everyone and everything. And she cares. She cares if people are happy or sad. If they are hurt or hungry. She wants to make things better for everyone and everything. I hope this part of her never changes and never becomes jaded with age.

I look to her whenever I need a reminder of what really matters. Love, kindness, compassion, understanding, empathy.

She is kind, she is special and she knows that every single person in this world is important.

Linking up here

and here

Sponsor love, a favour and some discounts...

2011-11-25T08:42:00.001+11:00

I hope all my lovely friends in the states had/have a wonderful Thanksgiving! I hope the day was blessed and filled with family, friends, food and love. After Thanksgiving comes Black Friday and although we don't have either here in Australia, seriously who can resist joining in on all the fun!

I am part of a huge, huge giveaway over at Through The Eyes of The Mrs. Head on over and get your entries in, and while you are there you will find a code for a special Black Friday discount in my shop.

And since I love you all, head here to grab another discount code and get your entries in for another fun giveaway while you're at it. Maybe you could use both the discount codes and get yourself a huge saving! Come and do some Christmas shopping and support a small business this festive season.

And while you are feeling so warm and fuzzy would you mind clicking here

and here

to vote for my lil blog. It would mean the world to me! Thanks in advance.

Now onto my fab sponsors.

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{blog} {shop} {twitter} {facebook}

{blog} {shop} {facebook}

Want to join these lovely ladies and sponsor And Nothing Else Matters? Click here for all the info and make sure you get in quick because I only have limited spots left for December. All money from sponsorship goes into sponsoring bigger blogs, to bring more exposure to this blog and in turn your ads!

Happy Thanksgiving, have a fun Black Friday, shop up a storm!

Ten Things I Want To Share About Blogging...

2011-11-23T21:59:00.001+11:00

Sometimes it is so easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing on their blogs and what you think you should be doing. Sometimes its easy to forget why you are really blogging. Its something I have been thinking about a whole lot lately. So here are ten things I want to share with you about blogging for me.

1. Blog for yourself. Sounds simple, but sometimes it is oh so easy to get caught up in the hype and lose track of this simple fact. I want to blog about the things I want to, on my own schedule and not feel compelled to do so on certain days just because that is what everyone else is doing.

2. Everyone's blog has their own journey. Some blogs seem to explode overnight, while mine was a super slow process and for a really long time I only ever had 7 followers and not a whole lot of comments. At first I used to let it get me down and felt like it made my blog less important, less valuable. This is so not true. My blog has its own pace, its own story, its own journey. And I am so so happy with my own little piece of blogland.

3. Comparison is a killer. Sure it is great to take inspiration from fellow bloggers but constantly comparing your blog to other peoples will absolutely without a doubt kill your passion for it. I am blogging to write, to share, to express myself, to connect, not to dampen it with comparison.

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4. Not everyone is going to like your blog. And that is okay. This is a huge thing that you need to accept if you are going to be a part of blogland.

5. Followers come and go. This is the nature of it, not everyone will stay around forever. Still its never fun seeing the number go down.

6. There will be times when you feel like you have absolutely nothing to say at all. Lots of times like this. Don't stress it. The words will come back. The more you worry about it, the harder it will be to find the words.

7. There will also be times when the words just don't stop flowing, go with it and write write write. It is always handy to have some great posts up your sleeve for when you feel like you have nothing to say.

8. Write what you actually think, feel or believe. Not what you think people want. This is a really important one to me.

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9. Be honest and genuine. Sounds simple, and it really is. People will see right through you if you aren't and they won't stick around for long.

10. Keep a part of you for yourself, for your husband, for your children, for your friends. Blog your life, but don't live to blog.

Linking up here

here

and here

I'm Blank Because...

2011-11-22T14:44:00.000+11:00

I am weird because...
I can't stand any feet, except mine, Todd and the babies. Even the thought of someones feet touching my couch grosses me out.
I get super excited about things I like and do them over and over and over until I get sick of them. Perfect example being songs on repeat, or the same drink, the same meal, same shoes etc. I have a thing with repeating obviously.
I prefer fizzy drinks with lots of ice, to cut out on the fizz.
I always like to sleep with a doona, year round, even if its hot. I like the weight of it. Feels strange to just have a sheet on me.
I love organizing things, and reading about organization.
I like to write lists, and sometimes add things to the list that I have completed to be able to cross them off.
I often get sidetracked and end up doing a completely different task than what I set out to do, which i why I like to add things to my list!
I can't make it through the day without tonnes of coffee. Just the smell of it picks me up.
I gravitate towards anything pink, yet I down own a lot of pink things.

I am a bad friend because...
I forget to return calls and text back.
I over think things.
I can be sensitive.
I have a hard time trusting people.
I am a bit of a homebody.

I am a good friend because...
I am fiercely loyal.
I am sensitive.
I love my friends like my family.
I will do what I can to put a smile on your face.

I am sad because...
Life is going by far too quickly for my liking. And I wish my babies could stay babies forever.

I am happy because...
My little family are my whole world.
Todd and I are both striving towards what we love, no longer just plodding along. Its a great feeling.
Our countdown calendar on the fridge has so many things on it to look forward to.
Christmas is coming and I love Christmas more than the average child.

I'm excited for...
Christmas is coming and I love Christmas more than the average child. What can I say, I love, love, love Christmas!
The RAAF Christmas Treat party.
Putting up the Christmas Tree and enjoying our little families Christmas traditions.
We are having four whole weeks together as a family without school or work for the first time. I cannot wait.
What lies ahead, i believe it is going to be wonderful.

This is inspired by the lovely Ashley, create your own post and join in on the fun!

Family Days...

2011-11-18T18:40:00.000+11:00

So I finally got around to uploading the photos from our visit to the botanic gardens and zoo from when Todd's parents were here. It was such a gorgeous hot day and we all had a blast. We spent the morning playing at the park, then had bananas and fresh bread rolls for lunch.

We then headed off to go and feed the ducks in the sweet duck pond there.

Isn't it just a gorgeous setting!

The sweet ducks, enjoying their lunch.

We then stopped for iceblocks before heading in to feed the animals.

Such a crazy boy!

My sweet babies with their grandparents. Love!

Linking up here

and here

WIW A Trip Down Memory Lane...

2011-11-17T12:23:00.000+11:00

For something fun this week I thought I would take a look at what I wore the nights before I had both of my babies. Fun huh! Oh and please excuse the slightly dodgy photos.

First here's me the night before I had Mia. Gosh I look so young.

Jeans: Sass & Bide
Top: Target
Bump: 9lb 1oz baby girl

The night before Ryan was born, looking at our build progress. See that room to the left, that was my walk-in-robe. My fave room in the house. Sigh.

Top: Witchery

Track suit pants: Juicy Couture (I still wear these track pants all.the.time!)

Bump: 8lbs 15 oz baby boy

Thanks for joining me on this little trip down memory lane!

Linking up here

A Little Housekeeping...

2011-11-17T10:34:00.002+11:00

Just a few little housekeeping messages that I want to get out of the way, and then it will be back to the usual posting later today!

Firstly, I am looking for guest posters to participate in my 2 Weeks of Handmade Christmas Crafts series that I have coming up. Please come and join in, with projects large or small. Email me at em@andnothingelsematters.com with your interest and for more information.

Second, I am now open for sponsors for December, its $5 for the month and all money made goes back into advertising this blog, which in turn means more exposure for your blog or shop. For more info head here, email me at em@andnothingelsematters.com to secure your spot!

And third, a plea from me. Please those of you who do not have your email enabled on your GFC profiles, do it! I love to reply to every comment via email but when you don't have it enabled I can't! I speak for most bloggers when I say it sucks when we can't reply to you personally! So please go and enable it for me.

Thanks so much in advance, cos I totally know you are all rushing off to check now! Hehe.

Oh and I almost forgot the free shipping offer in the shop ends in 24 hours, so get your orders in now so that you don't miss out. Use coupon code FREESHIPPING at checkout! Click here to shop now!

To Market, To Market...

2011-11-16T14:45:00.001+11:00

I have been promising these pictures for a while from my trip to market with Nicole. It was a full on day, a little overwhelming to say the least. Not to mention crazy windy. Which meant at one point our cover blew away all together (a huge thank you to the lovely husband of a fellow stallholder who came to the rescue!) and meant that I wasn't able to display all my hanging items around the tent. They just kept blowing away. And we had to keep holding down everything on the table because everything was blowing over and off the table. Crazy! But looking back it was one heck of an adventure. And next time we will pray for much, much less wind!

Enjoy the picture overload!

Top Ten Things To Cook At Christmas...

2011-11-15T22:04:00.000+11:00

I am feeling so into the Christmas spirit and the moment, and with that I can't stop thinking about all the yummy goodies that I love to cook at Christmas.

So this week Tuesday Ten is all about good Christmas food. Yum! Prepare to feel very, very hungry.

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Gingerbread men, always a fave for young and old, and a blast for kids to help decorate. This recipe is a goodie

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How great would this look on the christmas table. I am in love! Find the recipe and how to here.

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I always make pancakes for Christmas breakfast. I usually use this recipe. I serve mine with banana, strawberries, raspberries, icecream and maple syrup. So good.

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I just love baked ham. So good. This recipe is similar to mine, I use cointreau, brown sugar, a little freshly squeezed orange juice and marmalade. I score the ham and cover it in cloves in the corner of each diamond. I coat it in the super yummy glaze and then baste it ever half hour. It smells, looks and tastes devine!

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Again this is similar to how I do mine, I use pinenuts instead of walnut and don't use prunes. I also half fill the pan with water to keep the turkey moist and use butter instead of olive oil on the skin of the turkey.

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I always make roast veg to go with lunch. It just doesn't seem the same to me having cold sides. Even in our crazy summer heat, I still love cooking it!

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I also love to make cauliflower and broccoli cheese. My kids (and me!) just love this!

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We always have a pavlova for dessert at Christmas. We top ours with banana, strawberry and passionfruit pulp. Yum. This recipe looks really delish.

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Todd is also really fond of having pineapple meringue pie, and this recipe I might just try out this year.

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And last but definitely not least, my mum always makes me cheese shortbread. She only ever cooks them at Christmas and I honestly can't remember a Christmas without them. Try this recipe. Delish.

Linking up here

Want a great deal?

2011-11-15T15:53:00.000+11:00

I have an awesome discount running in my shop, free shipping! And now is the perfect time to get your pre-Christmas orders in, we all know how crazy shipping gets during the holiday season.

Also as a huge thank you for supporting my shop and blog and helping this Mumma contribute to the family income while building on this dream of mine, I am sending a surprise present with every order! What could it be? I'm not telling but I know you will all love it!

So head on over to my shop and get yourself a camera strap

a sunglasses case

a brooch

a super fun ruffled tote

or even a pillow cover.

Get your orders in, just enter FREESHIPPING at the checkout and it will be applied! Get in quick before the free shipping offer ends.

Winners...

2011-11-15T11:17:00.000+11:00

So I have two lucky winners of two awesome prizes to announce today. I hope that you are one of the lucky ladies!

The lucky winner of some awesome custom clips from Ashley from Mommy... A Work In Progress

Comment 2 is

Maureen Polderman said...

I follow And Nothing Else Matters...love it!

And the lucky winner of the $20 shop credit to Bip and Bop

Comment 8 is

Lacee said...

SO MUCH cuteness to choose from!!! I love the rose necklace...so pretty!

Congratulations girls! Shoot me your info so I can forward it on!

My sewing was taking over...

2011-11-14T21:47:00.000+11:00

As I have mentioned previously here and here, I have been trying to create myself a crafting / sewing / blogging space in our house. I started out with a re-do of the spare bedroom / study wardrobe. But I quickly realised I needed more space. Okay that's a lie, Todd decided for me. You see I had all my supplies in the study, the sewing machine set up on the dining table and the ironing board and bits and piece in the lounge.

It was taking over the house!

He suggested putting a desk in the lounge and creating a sewing corner there for me. I was so excited! Until we realised that a sewing machine and TV in the same room was going to pose some problems. A slight noise conflict there!

So I have now taken over the study! I am almost finished setting it all up and decorating, just a few finishing touches to add. But I love it! And it is so pretty!

So before the big reveal (hyping it up much?!) here are some of the fantastic rooms that inspired me. I am sure you will love them as much as I do!

Caroline for Good Times Never Seem Sew Good has such a sweet sewing room. I just love the colours that she has used. It would definitely be so east to be creative in here!

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Okay I confess, this I am totally beyond in love with. All the pretty colours with the awesome pops of pink. It just makes me happy looking at it!

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Pink and white chairs. To. Die. For.

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A tour of my crafting / sewing / blogging room coming soon! I can't wait to share it with you all. I am quietly (okay maybe not so quietly!) pleased with the results.

They make me happy...

2011-11-13T20:44:00.000+11:00

This week has been a bit on the emotional side, with me feeling down and lonely since our family left. I am starting to feel back to myself again. Hey don't get me wrong, I still miss everyone like crazy and feel really sad when I think about them all, but my countdown calendar on the fridge lets me know its really not that long until I get to see them all again. And luckily for me, my sweet family have been keeping a smile on my face. After all, Todd, the babies and I are all in this together.

Apart from feeling down, this week has been pretty awesome. Perfect hot days. Playing in the afternoon sunshine. Lots of smiles and laughter. General craziness with the babies. What more could a mumma ask for!

This kidlet seriously loves batman. Every day he either dresses up as batman or a pumpkin. My crazy sweet boy.

My crazy, happy, smart, kind, beautiful girl. This picture sums her up perfectly.

And to top it all off I got a phonecall from my super sweet great aunt who is sending me a few boxes full of crafting and sewing supplies. I seriously cannot wait. She is such an amazing person and makes the most gorgeous things and she is giving me her supplies. To say I feel blessed is an absolute understatement. She even gave me the greatest compliment. She said that I remind her of her sister, my nan. And you know what, she is one of the best people I have ever known. I am a lucky girl to have a lot of her in me.

Linking up here

and here

Tag-Along Thursday Facebook Hop {2}

2011-11-11T08:28:00.001+11:00

My super awesome friends Nicole at Miss Mommy Katie at Punkin Heads and Dooda Loos, and Summer at Made by Munchies Mama and I are hosting a once a month Facebook Hop. We will do it on the Second Thursday of every month.
We had a tremendous success with our Blog link up last week!. All of us hosts went around and followed all of you. Thank YOU so much for linking up. We're looking forward to doing this again on the first Thursday of December.
This is for all of us to get to know eachother better and gain more likes on Facebook:)
The rules of the hop are:
MUST like ALL 4 hosts on FacebookEach host will follow you back - so you're sure to gain atleast 4 new likes!
Please like a few others in the hop and leave them a comment saying you came from the Tag-Along Thursday Facebook Hop :)
Last month we had some blogs linked up - remember this is a FACEBOOK link up. So please only link up your Facebook page. If you missed the blog hop last week, thats ok. Please come back in December for the Blog Hop to gain some new followers.
You can grab a button if you wish as well :)

If you are interested in hosting this Facebook Hop with us, please e-mail Nicole at missmommy@live.ca for details.

Ornament Inspiration...

2011-11-10T12:11:00.000+11:00

Have you linked up with our Handmade Christmas Ornament Swap party yet? Get in quick you don't want to miss out. It's going to be super fun!

Here is some fun inspiration for you all

How cool is this from Honeybear Lane. Click here to see how she made it.

Aren't they so sweet? Click here to head to Life In The Thrifty Lane so see how they are made.

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How sweet and simple is this doily idea. You could add a good helping of mod podge and make it nice and strong. So pretty!

Such a cute bell wreath. Click here to find out how to make it.

And of course Martha has some fantastic ideas. Just look at these babies.

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Now I bet you are feeling all super inspired, so head here, link up and join in on the fun.

Tuesday 10...

2011-11-10T08:51:00.000+11:00

Trying to get myself out of the funk that I am in, and reading words of wisdom always help. Here are the top ten quotes that are resonating with me at the moment.

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Linking up here

and here

Oh I almost forgot! Want free shipping on anything in my Etsy shop? Enter coupon code FREESHIPPING at checkout! Happy shopping.

The Fall After The High...

2011-11-08T22:37:00.000+11:00

Up until this week, I was so surprised and pleased with how easy I was finding the distance and being away from both of our families. It may be strange to say, but I missed everyone, but not like super sad missing everyone. I was just so caught up with being back living in the same house, in the same state as my husband. Everything else just evened out in the wash.

Then everything changed.

For ten days we had family here.

For ten days my babies had two of their grandparents here to play with them, read them stories, spoil them rotten and hold them tight.

For ten days I had familiar people around, to talk to, to laugh with and to hang out with.

For ten days it didn't feel like we were away from all of our family.

Then came Sunday afternoon and the goodbyes. My sweet Mia was heartbroken and broke down in tears before they had even started the car. We gave lots of kisses and cuddles and she cheered up a little.

Then came Monday morning, for the last ten days I have had company, adult interaction, coffee buddies, shopping companions. People around from the moment I woke in the morning till the moment I went to bed. So Monday morning Todd went off to work and both the babies were still sleeping, and I realised I was lonely.

source

Not just in the no more guests sense. In the, I still don't really know many people here sense. I don't have people who stop by for a coffee, or catch up with, or meet in town for some shopping. I miss it. I miss familiar people. I miss it all.

source

So this is the fall, after the high.

I am hoping it passes soon.

Guest Post: Ashley from The Shine Project!

2011-11-08T14:02:00.000+11:00

This girl needs no introduction at all, we all know her and how awesome she is! So I'll hand it straight over to you Ashley!
____________________________________________________________________________

My name is Ashley, and I blog over at The Shine Project.

I cant wait to meet you :)

I never talk about it, but I used to be a softball player.

I started playing when I was about 9, and despite having never played before, got "drafted" into the higher league. From then on I played year round.

In high school, I thought hard about playing in college.

I practiced hard, every. single. day.

When practice was over, I'd spend time with a private batting coach. I dedicated all my time to this sport.

The last game of the season my Junior year of high school we were playing our rival school. They were good. And we had managed to keep up with them the whole game.

It was the last inning.

The bases were loaded.

2 outs.

We were only down by one run.

I was up to bat.

As I walked to the plate, the pressure of winning settled on my shoulders.

I could win the game...or lose it.

This is the moment that players dream of.

All my hard work and practice was going to pay off. I would be the hero. I just knew it.

It was as if the first pitch was in slow motion.

I knew it was mine.

I swung as hard as I could, and as I felt my bat make contact with the ball, I started running.

I got to first base in time to see that I had hit a really high ball to the short stop.

She caught it.

I had made the last out of the game.

I was no hero.

I regret to tell you that was the last time I ever picked up a softball.

As I listened to my team talk crap about me,

I vowed I would never play again. I was mad that after all of my work, I had amounted to nothing.

I try not to think about this event in my life very much. It kills me that I gave up something I loved, because it didn't play out as perfectly as I had envisioned. It kills me that my team was so upset with me (they probably don't even remember now) and more importantly, that I allowed them to affect me.

As I have grown up, I vowed to never, ever, walk away from something I've worked hard for again. In our lives, things are never perfect. They aren't supposed to be. We spend time doing things we love, and other things that we have to in order to get by. If we gave up at the first sign of discouragement, we would never amount to anything.

Almost every great leader that I can think of has had to withstand trial, after trial, after trial.

But that's what makes them so great. Their ability to conquer gives them strength. And in turn, they are able to give it to those that they lead.

Don't give up. Don't settle for second. And when it seems you are in your final inning, with more pressure that you could ever imagine, allow yourself to Shine.

____________________________________________________________________________

Does she rock or what?! Head on over to The Shine Project and say hi.

Christmas Ornament Swap Party!

2011-11-05T17:49:00.001+11:00

Can you believe that Christmas is just around the corner?

My bestie Nicole and I thought what better way to celebrate, that be doing a Christmas Ornament Swap with our bloggy buddies! And we are going handmade of course!
Handmade can be something made by you, or you can even purchase a handmade ornament. The choice is yours. I have mine planned already! Can't wait.

Here is how it will work....

Write a small post about the Ornament swap party and link up below. Look for the 'click here to enter' at the end of this post, and follow the steps to join in. Please only link up posts about the ornament swap, no competitions.
Email us at christmasswap@hotmail.com once you have linked up with the postal address where you want your ornament sent. Please don't forget this step! We won't be able to chase everyone up so if you forget you might miss out. Once the linky list is closed we will assign everyone their swap partner. If you don't have a blog, don't worry you can join in. Just email us your info!
Spread the love and put a button on your blog somewhere, the more people we can link up the better! Share to facebook, tweet, whatever you like!
Have your finished ornament posted by the 1st December at the latest, so that everyone has theirs up and looking pretty before christmas including those in different countries. We don't want anyone to miss out!
Once you receive your awesome ornament, do a post with lots of photos and we will have a linky party to show them all off!
Nicole and I will also feature our fave creations on our blogs.
We can't wait to see what you all come up with! Here's to the Festive Season!
Any questions? Email us at christmasswap@hotmail.com

Trick or Treat...

2011-11-05T07:14:00.000+11:00

Halloween and going Trick or Treating isn't a huge thing here in Australia. Normally we don't do anything to celebrate. And this year wasn't going to be any different. However my sweeties woke up on Halloween saying yay it's Halloween we get to go Trick or Treating. No prompting from us at all. So after school we headed to the shops to grab what we could for costumes.

My sweet little girl wanted to be a witch and my boy, well he wanted a pumpkin mask. And only a pumpkin mask. And what a cute little pumpkin face he had. And he was very specific abot what he wanted to wear with it. He even looked in the mirror and said 'Mummy I look just like a pumpkin!'. So precious!

Such a scary witch! They went with a little friend and had so much fun and considering they just went in our little street, got a whole lot of loot!

Halloween was a success and now I know to be way more prepared for next year. Because seeing the smiles on my babies faces is so worth it!

Linking up here

and here

Days of The Week...

2011-11-04T16:00:00.002+11:00

Giveaway now closed

I haven't been wearing earrings lately. I always wore the same ones and I was bored with them. I needed something new, but I needed lots of options. So i could change them lots, but not have to spend a fortune. Luckily Bip and Bop found me. And then their days of the week earrings came to the rescue!

You may have noticed me wearing their gorgeous blue mum earrings in my WIWW post. Super cute aren't they?

These sets are serious life savers and a perfect pop to any outfit! I have had so many compliments on them, its not funny. Check out the two cute sets that I have.

Ahh love!

The fantastic Nicole from Bip and Bop has a super fun giveaway for all of you. You can win a $20 shop credit to spend on anything in her store! Awesome right? Just look at some of the goodies she has.

Seriously gorgeous!

Here's how you can win:

Mandatory - Like Bip and Bop on Facebook

For extra entries:

-Head to Bip and Bop and let me know your fave item

Share this giveaway on Facebook

Don't forget to leave a comment for each that you do!

And for all of my fab readers she has as super special coupon code:loveem for free shipping! Awesome!

Tag-Along Thursday Blog Hop 2...

2011-11-03T22:24:00.002+11:00

My lovely friends Nicole at Miss Mommy and Katie at Punkin Heads and Dooda Loos and I host a super fun once a month Blog Hop. We will do it on the first Thursday of every month.
This is for all of us to get to know each other better and gain more followers. Sounds great to me!
The rules of the hop are:
MUST: Publicly follow each Host via GFC. The hosts are the first 3 blogs linked up in the linky section. Each host will follow you back - so you're sure to gain atleast 3 new followers!
Please follow a few others in the hop and leave them a comment saying you came from the Tag-Along Thursday Blog Hop. Lets all share the love!
You can grab a button if you wish as well.

Have fun hopping and reading some new blogs!.

Don't forget that next week is the Tag-Along Thursday Facebook Hop! If you're interested in being a host with us, please e-mail missmommy@live.ca to get the code.

WIWW - Market Colour and The Blues...

2011-11-03T18:25:00.000+11:00

I hit up the market last weekend with my bestie Nicole, it called for comfort and colour. It was a long, windy day, but lots of fun!

3/4 Tee - Big W

Skirt - not seen, made by me

Apron - made by me

Necklace, leather wrap bracelet and ring - Miss Mommy

Camera strap - Simply Nothing Else

What to wear for a shopping day with my mother in-law? Pretty blue, to match the gorgeous sky of course!

Cargo skinnies - Target

Top - Just Jeans

Jean Jacket - Harris Scarfe

Necklace - LMM

Earrings - Bip and Bop

Linking up here

and here

Ten things that are making me happy right now...

2011-11-01T22:28:00.000+11:00

I missed tuesday ten last week, and believe me I really missed it. So happy to be back linking up this week. So here we go with ten things that are making me happy right now.

Having family stay with us. Nice to have familiar people from home around. The kids are just loving having some grandparents here, it will definitely be sad to see them leave on sunday.

I am almost finished my last assignment for this term. I am really interested in this one, copyright laws.

Looking at photos from the market and weekend with Nicole. It was lots of fun catching up with her again.

There is a teachers strike here for two hours tomorrow morning, so I am keeping my girl home for the whole day. We are going into town for a little shopping. And I am going to give her a mani and pedi. Got to love an extra day at home with my little sweet girl.

I am halfway done with my christmas shopping/planning. I am loving feeling organised!

Christmas is officially next month. And so are Christmas holidays. I can almost feel the sand under my feet already!

I found a super awesome recipes for two cupcakes. Just last week I was saying to Todd that I wished that I could make just one or two cupcakes instead of a whole big batch (which I end up eating!), and now I have my wish. Head here to see the recipe.

I won an awesome giveaway from J&M's Eyecandy on Living in Yellow. Oh my goodness, I cannot wait to receive my goodies in the mail.

All the new pretty stock in my shop. It makes me happy just seeing all my hard work looking all pretty! Take a look and tell me what you think. Click here.

My babies went Trick or Treating for the very first time. Super dooper cute. Photos to come soon.Very last minute but they got a whole lot of loot. Lucky babies and lucky me, I get to sneak some of their treats.

Linking up here

and here

My Trip To Market...

2011-10-31T14:09:00.001+11:00

What a crazy week, topped off with a trip to Albury and onto Corowa for a boutique market with Nicole. It was an adventure to say the least. I have so so much to catch up from the last week and so many posts to work on. So for now just a little sneak peak of some of the sights.

I will have all the pictures and fun goss from our girls weekend coming soon, promise!

Oh and have you joined in on the fantastic follow fest going on over here? You don't want to miss out on joining in. And the best part it will be happening again next month. How awesome is that!

If you are stopping by from the followers fest, hello and welcome, leave me a message to say hi and I will be sure to head over your way and follow back!

Whoopie Pie's with Peanut Butter Filling...

2011-10-30T09:00:00.000+11:00

Here is a super fun recipe! I love me some Whoopie Pies and I love any chocolate and peanut butter combo. So when I found this recipe I was over the moon. Can you say yum?!

Whoopie Pie's with Peanut Butter Filling Original Recipe Found Here

Here's What You'll Need

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup hot water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup white sugar

1 cup butter

1 egg

For The Peanut Butter filling

1 tablespoon butter

1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar

1/4 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup milk

Ruffled apron optional, but I'm sure it helps the process.

Cream the butter and egg.

Add 1 cup white sugar, vanilla and hot water and beat until combined. Don't be deterred by the ickyness look of this. Think of the end product and yummness (yup made that up!) that is to come.

Stir in the flour, cocoa, and baking soda and mix well. Place teaspoons full onto cookie sheets and bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 10 minutes. This recipe makes 12 whoppie pies.

To Make Peanut Butter filling: Blend 1 tablespoon butter and peanut butter. Stir in confectioners' sugar and add enough milk to make frosting soft enough to spread. Spread between the flat sides of two cookies and sandwich together.

I then like to beat on high for at least 3 minutes so the filling becomes light and fluffy.

Seriously yum, I could eat it straight from the bowl.

Make sure yo have a cute little person on hand to lick the beaters. Or do it yourself. Or have one each, that worked for me.

Sandwich cookies together with Peanut Butter Frosting.

So good, and a perfect treat for after school. My sweet big girl was very excited to come home to them and a long glass of milk. Yum.

Guest Post: Mommy A Work In Progress...

2011-10-29T11:00:00.002+11:00

Giveaway now closed

I want to introduce you all to Ashley from Mommy... A Work In Progress. She is one of my fab sponsors and has a sweet blog. She sent me some of her gorgeous hair clips to try, and they are awesome. My Mia and I love them. And guess what, she has some fab clips to give away to one lucky winner!

Aren't they sweet?!

Take it away Ashley!

__________________________________________________________________________________

I want to say a big THANK YOU to Em for having me here today. I always leave her blog feeling inspired. I look forward to reading every new post and feel like she is so relate-able.

My name is Ashley and I blog over here. I am a wife (been married for four years and together for almost nine) to my high school sweetheart and momma to two toddlers! I am fairly new to blogging and am in love with it! I have also newly discovered that I love crating (who knew!) and I am not quite as challenged in that area as I had originally thought. On my blog you will find a little bit of everything; recipes (simple simple, because that's how I roll), craft tutorials, things I love, thoughts and plenty of pics of my adorable kiddos ( I am a bit biased :) ).

Today I wanted to share a new recipe I tried out for corn fritters. My hubby and I had some at a restaurant about 6 months ago and fell in love with these things. We have tried a few times to duplicate the recipes but they never turned out "right". However, I found this recipe in Better Homes and Gardens and tweaked it a bit and they are delish! If you haven't ever tried them, than you must.

Here's what you will need:

- 2 cups frozen whole kernel corn, thawed

- 1 15.5 oz can of butter beans

- 1 6 oz package of southern style cornbread mix ( you can use the regular but I like the kick the southern style gives it).

- 1 egg

- 1/2 teaspoon Chili powder

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 1/2 cup water

- Cilantro or parsley for a garnish (optional)

- Olive oil

In a large bowl, mash beans with a fork. Add corn, corn bread mix, egg, chili powder, salt, and water. Stir to combine.

should look something like this

Heat a large griddle or 12 inch skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil. Drop about 1/2cup scoop onto skillet and cook for about 3 1/2 to 4 minutes per side.

And that is it!


The finished products!

We like ours a bit burnt..... hope you enjoy and come back and tell me how you liked them!

Just because I love to share....... one lucky reader can snag a pair of my hair clips for free! The winner will get a fabric choice so I can customize them to your tastes, but here is what they look like:

It is mandatory to be a GFC follower of And Nothing Else Matters and of my blog, you can do that here.

Leave me a comment telling me what color or pattern fabric you were thinking you might like for an additional entry.

Make sure you comment for each thing you have done. Giveaway will close in three days at midnight and good luck!

Learning To Ride...

2011-10-29T09:11:00.000+11:00

This week has been crazy busy with assignments and lots of preparation for my first market stall this weekend. Not much time for fun this week. My highlight of the week so far, my sweet girl has been learning to ride her bike without training wheels. It is so wonderful watching her try so hard and get so excited with every small distance that she covers. There are plenty of falls and more than a few bruises, but she is slowly getting there.

Linking up here

and here

Are You The Lucky Winner...

2011-10-25T07:34:00.000+11:00

A huge thank you to everyone who entered the Miss Mommy giveaway. This leather wrap bracelet is just gorgeous, you will love yours as much as I love mine, guaranteed.

Didn't win? Head here to get your hands on one.

True Random Number Generator Min: Max: Result: 50 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Comment 50 was from Emily! (Great name by the way!)

Emily said...

I like you on facebook.

October 22, 2011 1:36 PM

Emily, email me with your postal information!