the weekender

we're off on a small adventure for a few days, visiting the little town where I grew up and introducing jasper to the beauty of the south coast for the first time. So happy to be doing this at last. Of course, a new bag was needed for such an exciting journey...and I think I may have come up with my most favourite bag design yet. Well, I shouldn't speak too soon, I haven't actually used it yet, but it's looking pretty good so far. when thinking about what kind of bag would be most useful for a mamma like myself, who finds herself carrying all manner of things including food, drinks, spare clothes, a hat or three, a good book (thankyou, sweet helen), maybe a magazine, a couple of cameras, a spare pair of shoes (you never know when you might need to change out of your thongs and into your mary janes), some pawpaw cream, a phone somewhere in there and maybe a bit of cash on a good day...well, the answer was simple, one of those green bags from the supermarket. How many times have I turned up with one of those because it was simply the only thing that would fit everything we needed. Not very stylish though, not really going very well with my shoes.

so , I decided to make a bag that was about the same size, only with way more personality and lots of pockets, so that I can carry lots more little stuff. I happened to have the most wonderful piece of teal coloured corduroy in my stash from last year (why do they keep changing the colours every year?), which I used for the main body, with bits of an old tablecloth for the side panels and pocket. Oh, and the lining, that's the kicker. My local baker has been giving me the calico bags that the breadcrumbs come in (he was just throwing them out before I happened to ask about them), which I have washed and ironed, and which have made the most perfectly wonderful bag lining. I think I'll do some more stuff with these as well, I do love the way the print looks on the fabric.

I'm already in love with this bag, and I think some might make their way into the shop very soon, if all goes well with this one. I'm off now to finish packing and try to get two very excited boys into bed (one's already gone, thank goodness). See you next week!

drippy

that's how we're all feeling around here. Wet wet rain and hotness together at once. I've been involved in more conversations about the weather in the past two weeks than I care to mention. I am not someone who relishes small talk about such things as the weather. I'd rather be talking about something interesting like shoes instead. I also don't relish humidity. I have begun to seriously consider becoming a "winter-chaser". You know those people who travel around, following the summer. Well, I'd like to do the same, only with the winter. Winter and spring, all year round, then I'd be happy. I could wear tights and boots and cardigans all the time and would never have to wear another singlet as outer wear again.of course, other members of my family don't share my enthusiasm for travelling the world seeking cool climes, and there's also the small matter of money (or lack of) preventing me from pursuing such dreams at this stage, so here we'll stay. And the sun, when it peaks out from it's hiding place, is good for drying us out and reminding us how great it is to live somewhere where it shines often. Just leave out a bit of the moisture next time, please.

new stuff in the shop today!

lucky

did I ever mention that when it comes to christmas presents, my husband rocks?butterfly plate from lightly, and jasper the owl from herbert and friends. Sweet new friends to wake up to each morning.
I'll definitely try to think of something more relevant to talk about soon. Well, maybe when school goes back, and I am allowed to think about something other than lego, cars and snacks.

a month of parties

well, it sure has been a busy few weeks around here. Christmas, new year (although I can't really call that busy, as I was asleep by 10pm), and various catch-ups and birthdays. Last week we celebrated jasper's second!! birthday. That one kind of sneaks up on me, a couple of days into the new year. I have this terrible habit of not knowing what's happening in the next month, because, you know, it's on the next page of the calendar. And this one's even worse, because it's next year! Never mind, forget it I did not, and he had a lovely, rainy birthday. A backpack , a ukelele and some mama-made jarmies were well loved. Who wouldn't love some tawny scrawny lion jarmies?the happy birthday sign I made the night before from our christmas cards, which were thankfully still sitting there waiting to be recycled. I just cut out the letters free hand and attached them to some red string with masking tape. Extremely low-fi, just the way we like things around here. And speaking of low-fi, we've been lucky enough to take the big boys to the movies twice during the holidays, first to see where the wild things are, which we all loved and cried over, and second the fantastic mr fox, which was, well, fantastic. I don't want to get into any kind of arty-farty rant here, but thank goodness these things are being picked up by the likes of spike jonze and wes anderson, before disney could get their shiny happy mits on them. I know it's probably not everyone's cup of tea, but I really enjoy a film that doesn't make me want to vomit, and that has a soundtrack that I actually want to listen to.

must be christmas

because there's a weird fake tree in our living room, and an unmistakable air of excitement around the place. In case I don't get back here later (and let's face it, that's highly unlikely), merry christmas wherever you are!

finding loveliness

in these gorgeous lillies from my mum-in-law. Filling our home with their heady scent.

in sweet, wet rain after a hot, hot day and night. Making my garden grow.in this new-to-me picnic basket, FREE! at my local op shop yesterday. Hmm, could that hole in the lid be for a wine bottle? I feel a picnic coming on.
in new fabric, the fifties-inspired range (and some others) on sale at spotlight. Loving that.

Also loving school holidays, relaxing mornings, stealing five minutes to re-read an old favourite, and catching up with sweet friends. Have a lovely weekend!

back on the wagon

so, I fell off the wagon again. And I had such high hopes last month, too. Last month I was all ready to start blogging regularly again, and look what happened, another three weeks went by just like that. To tell the truth, lately I've been feeling a little encumbered with the everydayness of everyday life. Nothing serious, just a bit of "i'd like to go and live in tuscany (or maybe just northern nsw)", and stuff like that. You know, just a bit of suburban boredom. I haven't even had the enthusiasm to log into blogger, I just keep looking at it and think "oh, I can't be bothered". Sad, huh? But, here I am, I've logged in, and I'm actually writing, so that's a start. I can't guarantee anything too exciting though.

so...what's been happening? Well, a lot, actually. There was that market, which was a really great day. I caught up with some old friends and had a pretty relaxing time chatting and hanging out sans-children, which is always a strange but enjoyable thing to do for a few hours. I have now uploaded (some of) what was left into the shop. There is still some more to come, but once again, that takes some amount of enthusiasm. Taking photos of little corduroy skirts without a little girl to model them is quite a difficult task. And, it's just kind of freaky seeing them on a boy. Believe me, I've tried.

oh yeah, and we got chooks! About two weeks ago, two lovely isa browns came to live with us. They are called snowy and mymble. Willow named snowy for her speckly white markings, and I was allowed to name mymble, who is already living up to her name as being a bit of feisty one. I cannot tell you what a joy it is to have chooks. I have been pestering the mister for months to get some, and after a huge amount of research (if there's one thing that man is good at, it's researching stuff), he finally caved. Now of course, they are "his girls" and he claims it was his idea all along.

and the other thing I would like to take the time to mention right now, which I should have mentioned weeks ago, is that my dear friend gabby has started a blog! Gabby used to have the most gorgeous and wonderful little cafe and organic food emporium just around the corner from my house, and it's thanks to her that this whole hazyjane thing really got started. I walked into her cafe one day, in need of some caffeine and a friendly face, having been rejected from another local establishment when I approached them about maybe selling some of my book bags. They just didn't get it. But gabby did, and she offered to put them in her shop, which was frequented by just the right type of softie-loving, vintage fabric-appreciating clientele, and the rest is history. Happy blogging, gabby!

now I think that might just be enough for today. While I have been lacking in frequency lately, I seem to have made up for it here in quantity, and I fear I may start rambling any moment now. And you know how I like a good ramble. Of course, now that I have started thinking about it, there is plenty of exciting stuff going on in my life right now. And I may even be back to tell some more of it very soon. Maybe even tomorrow.