Wednesday 25 February 2015

DIY: Pirate treasure map

 
I decided to sew the lil one a sturdier pirate treasure map (out of fabric) since his cousin ripped up his paper treasure map. I was quite lucky that I had a small stash of calico to use as the base. I quite like the fact I left the edges raw so that over time the map will have frayed edges & look "old".
 
 
 
 
 
 
I cut up an old fleecy baby blanket for the "water". I raided my craft drawers &  found scrap fabric for the island, felt for the "sharks", ribbon for the map marker, beads for the "cocunuts" & lace for the "water" ripples. It was quite tedious to hand sew it all (except the green & blue fabric which I machine sewed on) but it turned out quite great. I finished it off with a key (for the treasure chest) which was hidden in the "mountains" off an old necklace & some old hoop earrings for the "treasure".
 
 
 
I roadtested the treasure map among some of Kobe's lil friends. They loved the scavenger hunt & I got lucky that the place we had the treasure hunt had some elements that looked like the map like the "mountains" & coconut trees. (I pretended to be the octopus). They were quite happy with the easter eggs hidden in the tiny chest I buried (I couldn't find any chocolate coins at the last minute). The only near disaster I had was when I buried the trunk the second time too & forgot to mark it (with a shovel) so we really had to find it:)
 
 
Happy Thursday friends!
Grace
 
 
 
 
 

Thursday 19 February 2015

Love and laughter

 
"If love is the treasure, laughter is the key"
Yakov Smirnoff
 
 
 
 
Just a few snaps of this lovely little family. A quick note that all photography sessions with me you receive a minimum of 10 photos which will be emailed (via onedrive) once edited. Only 3-4 will be shared on this blog & your copies wont have my blog logo on them. Its your call if you would like to do multiple outfit changes or include more family members in the photos. Message me here for all the details.
 
 
Happy Thursday friends!
Grace 
 

Thursday 12 February 2015

FREE Valentine gift ideas that mean something




Its that time of year where couples show their love by grand gestures of buying bunches of crimson red roses, heart shaped chocolates, an oversized teddybear then finish it off with a meal at a fancy top notch restaurant. If your after something a little bit different this year, have a think about these meaningful gestures that wont cost you anything (but time & organizing) & will make your special someone feel valued.

*Looking for a BIG gesture? Write a love note & place it in your local newspaper. West Australians you can place a love note ad in The West Australian newspaper & go in the draw to win a TV. Obviously your placing an ad for your loved one not just to win the tv...

*Looking for a smaller but still just as meaningful gesture? Write a love letter. Write down all the many things that you adore about your partner but never get a chance to say. Stuck on words? Maybe you can borrow out (or google) some letters from the book "Love letters of great men" for inspiration. Plagiarising them & passing them off as your own will get you in the sh1thouse...

*Handmade cards are the cutest things ever. If you have kids then even better to get them to do a little scribble which you can glue onto a piece of coloured paper to make a card. (Or I quite like the scrunched up coloured pieces of tissue paper which is glued to make a heart, cards). Then all that is left is to write something sweet inside the card & your done. Kobe & I did this for Luke & also my sister last year.

*And borrowing an idea from my younger days. Why not go old school & make a mix cd of all your corny but super awesome love songs that define all your special moments shared. I would have to include "Come on Eileen" (by the Dexys Midnight Runners) on mine as it use to come on the radio in the car on most of Luke & my dates in the early days of dating. Oh memories.

*A sleep in. This is quite possibly the biggest WISH any parent would cherish!!! Now to choose which parent who gets it...

*A picnic. The weather in Perth over the weekend is sunshine (with partly cloudy on Saturday) which means perfect picnic weather. Plus the majority of Perth people will be watching The Giants which should clear up some space at the local parks. Throw down a rug, bring a packed picnic hamper & talk about your future wishes & plans together.

*Give a break to the cook of the house (like me!!!). Cook a meal, anything, seriously us cooks aren't choosy whatever gets us out of the kitchen. For extra brownie points, cook all the meals for one day!!! You wont hear me whinging that day:) If your in a baking mood, you cant go past these cookies with a heartfelt message on it. Who wouldn't want those? I would also enjoy these truffles! For those with a  partner on a health kick, try making these coconut bliss balls.

Enjoy!
Happy Thursday friends!
Grace

Sidenote; If you don't have craft supplies to make a card,  or you need more ingredients to bake/make something special or you don't have a blank cd to make a mix cd why not ask/borrow from family/friends/neighbours?


Thursday 5 February 2015

Brotherly love

 
"Sometimes being a brother is even better than being a superhero"
 
-Marc Brown
 
 
 
 
When I see these brothers interact it makes me want to pop out a brother for Kobe (ah one day...). Big brother A is so kind towards little brother M. Its so endearing!!!
 
Happy Thursday friends!
Grace
 
Sidenote; Just a few photos I took of these cutie patooties. If your in Western Australia & interested in a photo session. I have bargain rates til end of March. Message me here for the quickest response.