Just two little kids...

Yesterday I thought it a great idea to dress the kids in some of the new stock Ive been designing for my store for Spring/ Summer and take some pics up at my inlaw's beautiful property. Sounds simple! But nothing is ever simple with kids..... about 6 hours later I had 2 half decent pics , 30009 terrible ones and pretty much gave up!

Elliott prefers to frolic half-naked than be dressed at all, and Fern wants to dance with the box of ribbons rather than sport them in her hair... 

But in the end it didn't matter. I left them to it. And captured my best photo of the day without trying. Unstaged. Just two little kids playing together with no fears or inhibitions. Just as it should be...

Life in Miniature

For some reason, my daughter likes and HAS always liked little things. I have a 12 year old Labrador and the animal likes to always have something in his mouth. Like, always. Even when you think he doesn't have something in his mouth and throw him a piece of toast at brekkie(as I do - he likes a bit of vegemite toast, he does) he somehow manages to spit the leaf he's been hiding in his mouth out of his mouth and catches the bit of toast mid-flight before it hits the ground. Talent.

My daughter is similar to my Labrador. Ok, she doesn't keep leaves inside her mouth, but she likes to have something in her hand. At all times. The thing inside her hand varies from week to week. This week, it might be one of her "Littlest Pet Shop" characters. She holds that thing in her hand from the minute she wakes up. As Im getting her dressed she's clutching onto it. Somehow trying to squeeze it through the armholes rather than let it go for a moment. At the shops, she's clutching onto it. At lunch, it sits in front of her plate. At night, it's held tightly in her dedicated grasp. Once, I kid you not, Fern held onto one of her 'pets' for a full three days straight. That's 24 hours x 3. She woke up crying in the middle of the night when she dropped it and I had to crawl under her bed at 1am to retrieve it for her.

But she's a bit fickle, my daughter. Unlike Elliott, who is still dedicated to his beloved Flatout bear, Fern's obsessions fluctuate with the seasons. What is held in her hand this week is tossed unceremoniously in her drawer the next. I dunno.

No matter, that's just my daughter. Her little foible. There are worse habits, I'm sure.

Yesterday, I found this handmade toy on Etsy. A little matchbox 'bed' and mousey and it is so adorable I want one immediately. My daughter will most definitely be getting one of these for Christmas, and I know she'll love it. Its miniature, handmade, gorgeous and the sweetest thing I've seen all week.


What strange habit does your lil one have that you can't help but indulge?!

from here

Why you probably DON'T want a sandpit...

My kids love sand. They adore it. Always have. And so... we had it all worked out. Last Christmas eve while the kids slumbered peacefully in their beds, Santa built a gosh-darn you-beaut sandpit in the backyard. It was a labour of love:

... and it was a red-hot hit, folks. The kids loved it. They continued to love the sandpit well into Christmas afternoon until the time came to come back inside. It was then I caught the very first inkling that there might be a couple of drawbacks to owning a sandpit. 

Five months on and I'll be honest. I'm struggling, folks. 

The kids still love the sandpit. The only trouble is, sand never quite STAYS in the sandpit does it? Let's be honest, the only thing that kinda sucks about the beach is the sand and the sandpit is the same. We have no cover over ours, so there really is no way to keep the kids out of it, unless we drag the trampoline over it (which we have done more than once!) But it's all I can do to stay sane on a rainy day when I am dragging a brush through my hair, have dressed the two kids and now have 8 seconds to get them into the car to preschool... only to discover the back door open and two wet, sandy children happily digging holes in the sandpit...

There is sand on sand on sand at my place. Sand through the entire house. Through the washing. On the lounge. In my once beautifully interior-designed cubby house:

BEFORE SAND

AFTER SAND

BEFORE SAND

AFTER SAND

AFTER SAND

The cubby is pretty much ruined... there's so much sand in there I wouldn't even begin to know where to start cleaning it up. The kids make 'cakes' with it in there, you see. Which is fine until they bring their 'cakes' into the house to show me... On more than one occasion have I stumbled into bed after an exhausting day to discover the sandpit got there first... or opened my piano lid to find sandy little paw-prints over the keys...

Then there's my once beautiful deck:

BEFORE SAND 

AFTER SAND

You are starting the get the picture, aren't you? Don't get me wrong... sand is great. At a park, where you can brush bits of it off your darling children before they clamber back into your car and you head home to the peace and serenity of your own backyard. Sand is not intended for the suburban backyard. Or not mine anyways... and I can't help but think that THIS Christmas, the kids might wake up to find a really cool, you-beaut herb and veggie garden has sprung up in their old sandpit?!

Thoughts? Am I being overly neurotic about sand infiltrating every orifice of my house... will the kids ever get over the sad but imminent demise of their favourite weapon of mass destruction? Do YOU happily coexist with YOUR sandpit? Do share, wise friends! xx

A Bit of 'Bottom' Humour

This evening, as I was rocking the two-kids-and-an-adult-squeezed-into-the-shower thing (and to think I used to spend hours luxuriating in a hot bath with soy candles and a magazine once upon a time - humph!) I had my back to the kids, letting the hot water run down the front of my face when I felt a sensation on my, you know, posterior.

Swivelling my neck about-face to see what was going on, I bear witness to little faces each buried into one of my, you know, posterior cheeks blowing raspberries.

After a moment, each child came up for air, laughing harder than I think I've ever heard either of them laugh before. They took a breath, and buried their faces into my, you know, posterior again to blow more raspberries. Cue more raucous laughter.

Humph. In such inappropriate (but ok, kinda funny) situations, its hard to know whether to scold or laugh along with them. I chose option B.

Little rapscallions...

What have YOUR little munchkins got up to lately that blurred the lines between naughty and funny?

Extra Extra! Read all about..... Moi!

So, I'm a little chuffed and a lot flattered to be this month's 'Designer in the Spotlight' on Madeit. A little over a year ago I tiptoed my first piece onto the Madeit site... there seemed to be a lot of (seriously talented) competition on there and I had fairly low expectations about how I'd go. Why would anyone buy from ME when they could get something so much more amazing from someone ELSE? But for some unknown reason I hit the ground running. And I discovered that the more you give, the more you receive. The team at Madeit could not have been more supportive of my little business over those first few scary months. Over time, my confidence grew and I felt at home on Madeit; there really is no Australian online handmade market like it.

Every month I look forward to the designer spotlight. I excitedly soak up the experience and advice of fellow artisans and love to see the person behind the product. My secret goal was to be profiled. At some point. One day.

And then I was asked.

Folks, I don't have all the answers. Every day I'm learning. Growing. Building what was a hobby and is now my full time job. But I share with you all I know. And hopefully I can help or inspire one person the way some of your helped and inspired me.

Read my interview here. And thanks to every single one of you who helped me get here. You rock.

Bidding now open for Cuddle Craft Collective!

Morning folks! Remember my post about the fabby Cuddle Craft Collective initiative a while back? Well, bidding is NOW OPEN on an amazing collection of goodies from now until March 25. The only difficulty you will have is in choosing what to bid on! But for such a great cause, it seems a shame not to bid on them all! Remember, every cent goes to children in Ethiopia so you can feel great about participating in such a great cause.

Visit the auction here. 

Bubby Makes Three is proud to be involved, and I'm auctioning this pillowcase dress, available in sizes 000-3 with shipping anywhere. You can grab this item  here: 

Here are a few of MY picks and the items I don't think I will be able to stop myself from bidding on!

The kids would fight over this one - granted - but LOOK at it! 

So sweet for Fern's room...

I adore this; would be so sweet in my outdoor room!

This would be very sweet in Fern's cubby house!

Elliott NEEDS one of these dinosaur hoodies this Winter -- I absolutely love this!

A.DOR.able!

I'm a sucker for a softie...

.... and one for mummy!

If you have a blog or Facebook page, it would be lovely if you could also share the details of this auction to get as many people as possible bidding on these items... remember, its all for the kiddies! What pieces do YOU like?

Haberdashery Snobbery...

Here's a little secret...

I - Nicole Cleary - get intimidated when I go into haberdashery stores.

It's true.

Yesterday was no exception. As I stepped into a new store that has opened up near me - one with some lovely unique fabrics and essential bits and pieces - I slid a sideways glance at the elderly saleswomen, merchandising the accessory wall to which I was headed. I've been into this store a few times, and normally nobody pays me any attention. No 'hi, how are you', no 'can I help you's'... nothing.

But today the store was empty. And I was standing right in front of where the women were working. Really, they had no choice but to acknowledge my existence. They asked if I needed any help.

And I was forced to admit that I did. I explained I'd snapped a sewing machine needle 'again' and needed some new ones. The women clucked in disapproval. 'That should never happen', they said. It should only be happening if I'm not sewing right. Or I didn't know how to use my machine. Or I wasn't changing the needle enough to begin with. One of the ladies suggested I attend sewing classes.

I responded with my interest in attending a class, but explained I had two small children and that committing to such a thing throughout the day time was pretty difficult. 'You wouldn't want my children in the store', I joked, to which the saleswomen replied "no, I certainly wouldn't!" without a hint of a joke in the tone of her voice.

So, ok then.

This is not an isolated incident. Walking into fabric stores always has me feeling akin to Julia Roberts in Pretty Women (but without the 'shit hot Lotus'). I nervously wander about; examining new fabrics and colours and patterns but rarely am I ever spoken to by a sales assistant unless I am at the counter purchasing something. My questions are often received with barely disguised disdain and a mild sense of distrust, as though I am going to be using the 10 metres of elastic I have just asked for for sinister purposes. When I asked for such a thing yesterday the lady asked me straight out what it was for before she started cutting, in the tone of voice that insinuated once I told her I was going to realise I needed 10cm instead of metres.

In case you don't know, I run a surprisingly successful business these days - one that requires hours and hours of sewing every week. I am no stranger to my machine, and though I don't profess to know it all, I certainly know my way around a rotary cutter.

But it shouldn't matter, should it? Whether I have 10 years or 10 minutes experience, shouldn't I be treated the same?

Why then, do I feel like there's such unabashed snobbery in these haberdashery stores?

Am I exaggerating? What has your experience been in these stores?? Do share...

Spotto!

When you are a child, there is little you want more in this world than the approval of your parents. Mum or dad telling you that they are proud of you... there is nothing quite like it. Even in adulthood, you still seek the approval of your parents a little, don't you? I know I do...

Now I'm a parent, I'm mindful of telling my daughter who is now 3 that I am proud of her. A whole day at preschool without wet undies, I'm proud of her. Her entire plateful of dinner eaten up (this one is a rare occurrence), I'm proud of her. Of course, I'm proud of her anyway. She's my only daughter, and I love her. But it's easy to get caught up in the monotony of the day-to-day, and I'm sure there are days when I should be a little more forthcoming in my praise for my daughter; days when I lose my patience and yell at the kids before 9am! Im no perfect mother, thats for sure... but I love them and Im proud of them, forever.

And maybe I do tell my daughter Im proud of her. Because today, my daughter told me she was proud of ME, for the very first time. It was an amazing moment.

What did I do to receive such a compliment from my little daughter? I myself am proud of some of my recent achievements: my growing business, my magazine appearance, my ability to sleep in a king-single with my daughter for two weeks straight because Elliott kicked me out of my own bed...

But no, my daughter proclaimed her pride in her mother for calling 'SPOTTO' at the lights yesterday. I generally forget to play the game, but my daughter does not. After I made the call, Fern said with an air of incredulousness "yeah, it is Spotto, mum! Well done, Im proud of you!!" Not familiar with the rules of 'spotto'? Look here.

Spotto, indeed. But no matter. My daughter is proud of me. And that, folks, made my weekend.

What made yours??

Happiness Is...

Happiness is... a slice of chocolate cake.

...its the simple things, folks. Im so glad I have my little Elliott to remind me of this. 

What is making YOU happy today?

Am I a Top 25 Creative Mom?

from here

Late last week, I received an email letting me know I'd been nominated for the annual "top 25 Creative Mom" blog award from Circle of Moms. No idea who put me forward or why, but it was very unexpected and a little exciting! If you are not familiar with Circle of Moms, its a great resource for new mums - with practical advice, tips, forums and all manner of other fun bits and pieces to help make your first days and months as a new mother a bit more bearable!

To be nominated in this list is a lovely compliment... but to be one of the top 25 I need your votes! If you love Bubby Makes Three and would like to see my blog in the top 25, simply vote for me by clicking on the button on the top right of my blog and then the button next to my logo once you are on the page.

In return, I will send e-kisses your way... and vote for YOUR blog if you are also nominated! (just share your link in the comments below)

Even if you don't want to vote, I recommend clicking into the list for a looksy anyway -- lots of creative fodder to add to your favourites bar and some great, creative blogs you may not have discovered yet!

Thanks gals, and have a lovely week xx

ps. Thanks for your sweet comments about liking the pics of moi from my recent holiday, I realised I don't share too many images of my good self on my blog... at 35 I am not feeling like an oil painting these days, and am normally too vain to show my wrinkles to the wide world! You have shown me I need to just get over myself. So thank you! x

One stormy afternoon...

Yesterday afternoon was stormy on the farm... heavy grey clouds loomed overhead and it was the perfect afternoon to stay inside in front of the TV. But we didn't, we went for a walk in the overgrown scrub surrounding our cottage instead... This is what we discovered.