1950’s kitchenalia

I have collected things ever since I was a little girl. Some would call me a hoarder and say that my house was full of clutter although I prefer to see myself as a bower-bird and the treasures I find in my travels feather my nest, so to speak. I am not exactly sure of why I collect the things I do. My Great Grandmother Dorothy Kelly does have a small part to play - as her kitchen and her china cabinet remain forever burned in my memory. Sometimes I start a collection almost by default – like my more recent vintage apron collection which came about because of my souvenir tea towel collection…..anyway I’m not going to write much today about my 1950’s kitchenalia collection I thought instead I would show you a few photos of things from my kitchen which will give you an idea of the kinds of things that make my heart sing!

1950's domestic illustrations

I love coming across old magazines from the 1950’s and 60’s at the op shop – I always love flicking through the yellowing pages to find the illustrative gems that at the time were oh so modern and new! With headings like – Automagically - the gift every woman wants – for a new washing machine to Bottling Fruit in the Lounge? Who would have thought!

The vintage style of the illustrations and the gorgeous colours really appeal to me – I suppose the ads and magazines in general are just an extension of the things I LOVE to collect. My kitchen (whilst overflowing with collected treasures) is an ode to the time when kitchen dressers with bakelite handles were standard fare, laminex and chrome kitchen tables with two tone matching vinyl chairs, quirky ceramic cookie jars and vases in bright colours, all made in japan, tea pots and tea cups made in England and a piece or two of Diana ware – preferably jugs with white polka dots, lovely rustic kitchen scales and well – I could go on and on. One day I’ll post some photos so you can all see for yourself!

Still, I must say that even though I love to look and reminisce about a vintage life when things seemed somewhat simpler and more wholesome – I wouldn’t trade for the world all the lovely modern toys I get to play with – like my fancy pants finger operated sewing machine – my front loading washing machine (how on earth would I felt all my woollen jumpers like I do – if I didn’t have that baby), the computer which connects me and my business to the world and dare I say it – the rather large television which is fabulous for watching movies on – when I am just too tired to sew one more stitch.

I must admit though – the concept of bottling fruit in the lounge is still somewhat a-peeling. And dare I say – still quite novel. What a marvelous idea! Especially when you have no room in your kitchen……

My husband - Sam

We met when I was 15 – he was 16. Thinking back – I would say it was definitely mutual admiration at first site. Our journeys would take us down many paths – with other relationships and other life lessons to learn. We always knew each other through mutual friends and siblings – our initial friendship and fondness remained, although we weren’t the kind of friends who would catch up independently. I think this is because I pretty well always had a boyfriend!

We met up again at a birthday party when I was in my mid 20’s. We were a little shy of each other – a few years and water under the bridge had flowed and we were both older and wiser for our journeys. Before I left – Sam had the courage to ask if I was single – and as luck has it, I was! Well the rest is history now. We have been together for about 8 years and married for 5.

It’s funny when I look back over the last 20 years since we met. I think if we had got together earlier – our relationship wouldn’t have lasted the distance but because of the life experiences we lived - when the time was finally right – we were both ready. Sam is my very best friend and my darling sweetheart – loved to the moon and back.

Here’s to a long lived and much loved life together. He makes my heart sing everyday and loves me like no other. How blessed am I.

My Children - Kitty & Milo

Today is a great day. Today, I get to sing the praises of my children. I get to celebrate how much I adore them. I get to rejoice in the fact that I have been blessed with being a mother. Not once but twice. The pigeon pair.

There are moments in my life when I reminisce on what life was like pre-children. Usually it is when I am up to my eye balls in the fifty million things that I am trying to do all at once and attend to my children. Lucky for me multi-tasking is a skill that I have taken to quite well and so my dear children still get big chunks of Mummy – amongst it all.

My darling daughter Kitty – I feel so blessed that you have come to play with me in this lifetime. Your vivaciousness, zest for life and enthusiasm – brighten my day. You make me laugh with your silly songs and dances; you inspire me with your creativity and impress me with your kind and caring nature.

My gorgeous Milo – What a delight you are. Thank you for joining me on this journey. What fun we are having together. You are such a happy and loving little boy. Our family is all the more blessed since you came to play. Your lovely little kisses and cuddles make my day and I look forward to seeing you grow and develop over the years to come.

Sometime in my twenties, I came across a book written in 1923 called ‘The Prophet’ by Kahil Gibran. A series of philosophical essays written in English prose it resonated with me so deeply that elements of it have embedded themselves in my psyche. The chapter on children in particular;

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness; For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.

Kitty and Milo you are loved. Thank you for making my heart sing.

Mirka Mora

Women love their clutter fiercely when it is full of love.

Mirka Mora

When I think back on my childhood memories – there are certain things that have stuck with me through my journey in life and which I’m sure have shaped me into the person I am today. One of those very strong memories is of the paintings by Mirka Mora that hung in my friend Ella’s house. I think I remember them so vividly because I loved the colours, the big eyes on the faces and the wings. Of course I didn’t know that they were painted by Mirka until I was much older - when I recognised the eyes and whimsical style in other paintings of hers and put two and two together.

In my late twenties – when I was in full swing of my event management day job – I was lucky enough to put together a series of literary luncheons at ZINC at Federation Square. At the time Mirka had just released her second book – ‘Love & Clutter’ and I was keen to secure her as a guest and speaker. On the day I welcomed the guests and Mirka (how excited I was to meet her!) with the story of my childhood and playing in the house with her paintings on the wall. She thanked me for sharing and went on to tell her story and views on the world and life in general. What a character she is! She certainly had the audience in fits of laughter with her innocent and yet charming ways.

I felt a great resonance with Mirka that day and in particular the topic of her new book – Love & Clutter. For those of you who know me well – I have always loved clutter. Organised chaos I call it…….sometimes it overwhelms me but for the vast majority of my day to day life – the clutter that makes up my home is primarily trinkets and treasures I have collected during my travels around the neighbourhood and over the seas. My clutter inspires me – it helps me to be the creative I am and it is filled with so much love and memories. Here is an excerpt from the book that I particularly liked……

A Bundle of Fabrics - excerpt from Love & Clutter by Mirka Mora

When I was a child, my mother would put aside pieces of fabric from the dresses she made for her three little daughters – silks, taffetas, cotton, wool, and a lot of lace and ribbons – all of unimaginable colours, different lengths and widths and quality. I coveted those pieces but wasn’t allowed to investigate them until the age of eighteen; my memory of them is still very strong, probably because they were forbidden. My Mother had her own world and remains a mystery to me today, as parents often do.

When my mother readied herself to leave Paris to live in New York, the only luggage she took was these pieces of fabric enveloped in a white damask tablecloth, tied diagonally by its four corners. Mother knew the story of each little piece and decided to take these memories with her. I was amazed, then slowly understood how much love was hidden in her collection of fabrics. Those pieces of cloth from all the clothes my mother had made us were a photo album of our childhood.

A snapshot of Mirka……

Mirka Mora is one of Melbourne's best known and loved artists. Since the early 1950s when she and her husband Georges immigrated to Australia from France, she has contributed to Melbourne's transformation from quiet, provincial town to sophisticated, multicultural city. Her early training was in mime and drama, but painting was her focus by the time she reached Australia. Close friends of other committed artists and patrons, including John and Sunday Reed, Charles and Barbara Blackman, Barrett Reid, John Perceval, Laurence Hope, Arthur Boyd and Joy Hester, Mirka and Georges were instrumental in the re-establishment of the Contemporary Art Society in Melbourne from 1953. They also helped bring European-style dining to 1950s Melbourne, opening the Mirka Café in Exhibition Street, the Balzac in East Melbourne (the first Melbourne restaurant to receive a 10pm liquor license) and finally Tolarno in St Kilda. Mirka's numerous public artworks including mosaic murals at Flinders Street Station and St Kilda Pier, and a painted tram, have all helped enliven the city, and her bohemian style and joie de vivre have endeared her to Melbournians from all walks of life.

Mirka's fifty years of creative energy have resulted in a prolific output of work across a range of media - drawing, painting, embroidery, soft sculpture, mosaics and doll-making. Her colourful, sensuous iconography has emerged from the breadth of her interests and reading, her love of classical mythology, her desire to reclaim and make sense of childhood and familial relations, and her recognition of the power of sexual desire.

Mora uses a wide range of media and her work features strongly in the permanent collection of the Heide Museum of Modern Art in the Melbourne suburb of Bulleen. She is a noted colourist and symbolist. Her paintings are often bright and bold, drawing heavily on a stable of recurring motifs - innocent, wide-eyed children, angels, dogs, cats, snakes and birds. For many years she has conducted workshops in painting, soft sculpture and mosaics, where countless Australians have learned from her unique approach to teaching art.

Metalicus

Back in the mid 90’s I discovered a very cool top made out of stocking like stretchy material. I bought one in white and one in black and wore them layered under various tunic style tops and dresses. Metalicus was responsible and it was the beginning of a dear friendship that has lasted ever since.

Over this time I have purchased an article of clothing from one of their ranges most years and have built up quite a good collection. Of course the beauty in the styling of Metalicus garments is in the classic nature of the designs, the fabulous mix and match quality in how you can layer the garments together and the stunning colours they choose which always makes it hard to decide exactly what piece is calling to me the most.

Metalicus came about in 1992 when Melbourne designer Melma Hamesfeld was experimenting with stocking fabric and transformed one stretchy piece of material into a concept for the brand.

As the brand developed, so did the product offering and today their collection includes Cotton, Wool (my favourite of course!) and Bodytight, along with Mini & Miss Metalicus. I love the idea of Miss Kitty getting around in her own Mini Metalicus outfit. Super cute for sure.

The other thing I totally love about them is that the majority of the pieces I have – I have been able to wear through both my pregnancies and throughout the inevitable weight gains and losses that seem to be my lot in life. The other thing that also really amazes me is that they are still manufactured in Melbourne! Can you believe that! An international fashion label that has 400 stockists around Australia and 200 abroad with ever expanding plans to conquer the world…….and it still manufactures in my home town. You’ve gotta love that! Go Metalicus Go!

Marimekko

There is definitely something about fabrics from the 50s and 60s that really appeal to me – particularly big bright florals. I was 4 or 5 when I first came across the bold patterns and colours of marimekko fabric. It was in the ‘sun room’ at my little friend Ella’s house. The walls were painted the sunniest of yellows and the big feather filled sofas were piled high with the most gorgeous cushions upholstered in vibrant marimekko fabrics.

Its funny isn’t it how you remember things. For me my memories are often visual – the way things were positioned, the colours or pattern of an object, the way fabric moved in a dress or the texture of one thing in contrast against another. The memory of Ella’s house and of particular rooms in it – had such a strong impact on me – the memory has remained.

In my early 20’s when I studied Interior Design – I was able to really explore this visual inclination for colour and design. I learnt about various types of fabric and fabric designers and of course the memories of Ella’s house came back. When I got married some 10 years or so later – my dear friend Beck who I had met studying interior design gave us a fabric covered canvas in Unikko – undisputedly one of Marimekko’s most famous designs. Of course it was one of my favourite gifts and has had pride of place in the lounge ever since.

Marimekko was founded in 1951 by Finnish couple, Armi and Viljo Ratia. Armi commissioned some of her artist friends to apply their graphic designs to textiles and design fabric prints for their company, which resulted in entirely new, boldly coloured and patterned fabrics.

Still around today – Marimekko is without a doubt one of my all time favourite things – there’s something about it that definitely makes my heart sing and when my heart is singing, I am happy.

Magdalena

A few years ago now – I was lucky enough to spend 7 weeks traveling around Spain. I stayed with lovely old friends in Toledo about one hour south of Madrid and used them as a base from which to travel the country right up north as far as Sans Sebastian and way down south as far as Granada and pretty well all around the perimeter of the country – what an amazing journey!

Of course being the foodie that I am – I was in heaven and could quite easily eat everyday little morsels of delicious tapas washed down by lots of lovely vino blanco and cervesa.

Lucky for me, I was mainly backpacking around – so all that walking in the hot summer sun carrying my massive backpack – helped me walk off my indulgence.

On one of my first mornings in Toledo my lovely friend Marisa woke me for El desayuno with fresh café con leche and la Magdalena. What a treat! Magdalena or madeleine’s as they are also known are a dainty cup cake recognizable by their distinctive pointed shape. They are traditionally eaten in the morning and are bought in big bags from the supermercado like we might buy crumpets or muffins. Once I got over my momentary shock at eating cake for breakfast – I decided that this was pretty good really and la Magdalena became a definite breakfast staple.

I’ve never forgotten them….I found some here in Melbourne a few years ago at the Mediterranean Wholesalers in Sydney Rd, Brunswick and was so excited…it was short lived though and they stopped stocking them – probably a good thing knowing me! If you’re tempted as a week-end treat for the kids – here is a recipe to make your own……

La Magdalena

Ingredients
4 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
100 grams unsalted butter
1 2/3 cups unbleached white flour
1 tbsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1 Tbsp milk

Preheat the oven to 200 Celsius
Beat eggs, butter and sugar until very creamy and light
combine salt, baking powder and flour and stir into batter
Add milk and beat well again
Spoon into patty pans
Sprinkle granulated sugar over each
Bake 15-20 minutes

Makes 18. YUM!

Mac Cosmetics

I’m not a girl who wears a lot of make-up. I dabbled as a teenager and occasionally in my 20’s but really – I am a bare minimum natural kind of girl. So to have found a cosmetics brand that really works for me and makes it kind of easy and straight forward to implement my daily routine – MAC takes the cake.

About 10 years ago when I was in full swing of the city working girl lifestyle (train to work and often taxi home, out for coffee breaks during the day with colleagues, café lunch and a spot of shopping and then drinks and sometimes dinner after work with friends) – I was invited by a girlfriend to attend a MAC Cosmetics workshop after work one evening.

They held it in her office and plied us all with free champagne and nibbles (very clever)…..I took up the offer of a free make over demo (I’d always wanted to have this done but was reluctant at Department Stores for fear of being sucked into buying everything they used and then never actually using it myself).

The makeup artist was fabulous – and within a very short time had worked out exactly the right colour palette for my skin type and tone and had made me up in a very natural and yet complimentary way.

From that night on – I have been pretty well consistently brand loyal. I spend less than $200 a year with them and the products I buy seem to last incredibly well. For a girl who doesn’t really wear makeup – I’m happy. And if you are the kind of girl who does wear makeup – or anywhere in between for that matter, they come highly recommended from me.

Lip Gloss

My addiction to lip gloss was innocently started at the tender age of 5. You see – one of our neighbours was an Avon lady and she kindly gave me a strawberry lip gloss as a gift one day, as my lips had got very dry in the wind. I still remember how thrilled I was to be given such a grown up thing. What made it even better was the fact that it coloured your lips a little red as well as smelling nice – so in my mind - it was just like lipstick. Very, very fancy indeed.

I rushed home to show it off to my Mother – yippee! As time went on my little kinder buddy Ella acquired her own lip gloss too. Hers was a watermelon flavoured Lip Smacker. She knew how taken I was with lip gloss - so offered me a try of hers – I was hooked. Back home to Mum – to request that she buy me a lip smacker too. I think my first flavour was cherry followed closely by watermelon and well it all just goes on from there really – one very, very long line of lip gloss.

I have spent a good proportion of my life applying lip gloss (I’d hate to think how much I may have digested over the years). I usually have at least 3 or 4 different flavours on the go at any given time. A few years ago – Bonne Bell released a giant lip smacker. I was absolutely delighted when I saw it (I have a real thing about everyday objects in miniature form or giant form for that matter) – so of course I bought a few and posted one off to Ella with a little note of friendship appreciation and of course a little reminder of the 5 year olds we used to be.

Now that I’m a grown up my tastes have changed somewhat and my number one favourite is the Palmers Dark Chocolate & Peppermint combo….a little lip treat every time – but thank goodness - without the calories!

Le Creuset

As a child my favourite dessert of all time, was my Mother’s Chocolate pudding. What a treat! Somewhere in my early twenties, Mum gave me a recipe book with a few of my favourites in it that she used to make me when I was little - one of which was the chocolate pudding recipe.

There is something about comfort food – that I find, so well…comforting (funny that). Chocolate pudding is definitely one of those foods. Come winter time – there is something so delicious about being all wrapped up and snuggly with a lovely bowl of warm chocolate pudding and ice cream. Yum – I’m getting cravings just thinking about it.

Anyway – this entry is not about chocolate pudding it’s about the vessel that I cook it in. Given to me as a gift – the heart shaped Le Creuset casserole would have to be one of my favourite kitchen items. Cast iron – whilst heavy – makes me want to cook. The few pieces we have – a wok, a square skillet grill and an oval French oven all get a good working out in our kitchen and of course what better a vessel to cook and serve chocolate pudding in then a heart shaped one.

Just in case you are feeling the love (or having a comfort food craving)…..here is Mum’s recipe……….thanks Mum xoxo

Mum’s Chocolate Pudding

Ingredients
60 grams butter
½ cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 cup self raising flour
¾ cup caster sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa (I’m always a little more generous than this)
2 cups hot water

Topping
¾ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa
Combine both ingredients well.

Method
Heat butter and milk in saucepan, stir until butter melts, add vanilla. Sift dry ingredients into basin, add butter mixture to well in centre, stir until smooth, pour into deep, greased 1 litre (2 pint) oven proof dish. Sift topping over, carefully pour hot water over. Bake in moderate oven 40 – 45 mins.

Serve with fresh cream or vanilla ice cream – Enjoy!

Lavender

Lavender's blue, dilly dilly, lavender's green,
When I am king, dilly, dilly, you shall be queen.
Who told you so, dilly, dilly, who told you so?
'Twas my own heart, dilly, dilly, that told me so.

One of my favourite scents of all time would have to be lavender. I am a huge fan of handmade lavender soap and of course LOVE lavender hand cream.

A well-loved Mediterranean herb, lavender has been associated with cleanliness since Romans first added it to their bathwater. In fact, the name comes from the Latin lavandus, meaning to wash. A Christian legend says that lavender originally had no odor, but since the Virgin Mary dried Jesus’s swaddling clothes on it, it has had a heavenly perfume. Essential oil of lavender is now known to have many applications in aromatherapy.

Most days in the morning I use a spritz of Jurlique’s Lavender hydrating mist on my face before I put my moisturizer on – the smell of which I find so uplifting…..lucky for me it has become a Christmas tradition on my lovely husbands part, to replenish my stocks for the year ahead.

Where would I be without my King?

Laughing

According to legend, if one rubs the Laughing Buddha's great belly, it brings forth wealth, good luck, and prosperity. If only I could rub my post baby belly and get the same results……

I love having a good laugh……in fact I can remember times over my life – especially when I was a little girl – when I would laugh so much, that I would roll around on the floor, crying and clutching at my tummy which had started to hurt because I was laughing so much….almost to the point I think of wetting my pants (although I never did).

Who knows what I was laughing about…..sometimes the smallest of things tickle my fancy and it sets me off. For those of you who know me – you would probably say I have a fairly loud and distinctive laugh – I do love the contagious aspect of laughter where something gets you laughing and then the sound of your laughing gets someone else laughing and so on.

Nothing works faster or more dependably to bring your mind and body back into balance than a good laugh. Humor lightens your burdens, inspires hopes, connects you to others, and keeps you grounded, focused, and alert. Laughter makes you feel good. And the good feeling that you get when you laugh remains with you even after the laughter subsides. Humor helps us keep a positive, optimistic outlook through difficult situations, disappointments and loss.

I think one essential quality that helps us laugh is not taking ourselves too seriously. The ability to laugh, play, and have fun with others not only makes life more enjoyable – it also helps you solve problems, connect with others, and be more creative.

So on that note – let’s make 2010 the year of laughter and to not taking yourself too seriously.

I’ll leave you with a bad joke - which always makes me laugh – no matter how many times I hear it!

Q. What is pink and wrinkly and hangs out your undies?

A. Your Grandma

Lanterns

I have written before about the makeover I had done on my bedroom when I was about 11. I chose a sunny yellow colour paint for the walls and some lovely matching bed linen but I forgot to mention the new paper lantern I got, that hung in the middle of the ceiling. It was big and round – sky blue in colour with white fluffy clouds all over it. I would lie in bed and look up at it - delighted by the fact that it was made of paper and could fold down flat. I can’t remember where it came from – but I loved it and of course that was the beginning of my love of paper lanterns.

I have had various versions of the afore mentioned lantern – in an assortment of colours and sizes over the years and have also bought many of the decorative Chinese paper lanterns and hung lots of them along extended strings across the huge kitchen of an old shop I used to live in. I also think they are great for decorating the house during festive times – especially parties and I’m always on the lookout for different ones to add to my collection. One of the bonuses of course are that they are super cheap.

When I was in Japan – I saw heaps of different lanterns on mass – they were simply stunning and almost magical – when seen all lit up against the evening sky. I have also recently learnt of sky lanterns which are airborne paper lanterns that can be released into the night sky for aesthetic effect at lantern festivals or weddings (as an alternative to fireworks). A similar concept to hot air balloons, sky lanterns are made from a non-flammable bio-degradable rice paper and have a specially designed wick for burning. Once lit, the lantern rises up into the sky creating the most magical and exquisite scene. Then when the wick burns out the sky lantern just floats gracefully back down to earth. I wish I had known about them when I got married – they would have been perfect at our winter solstice wedding.

Paper lanterns have long been symbols of joy and celebration and that is definitely the feeling I get when I see them displayed on mass. They definitely make my heart sing.

Laminex Tables

I have always loved laminex kitchen tables. Of course my penchant for colour has probably got something to do with it. The vibrant, yellow, blue, green and red (my favourite) tables with their shiny chrome legs and trim – always seemed to sparkle to me – especially as a child when I was closer to the ground in height.

For years I searched for a red laminex kitchen table with matching chairs….they are difficult to come by these days – at least in the colour and condition I wanted. Finally one day the universe offered one up via a dear friend. The table set had been in his family for years. Bought new it lived in his grandfathers kitchen and then in his brothers kitchen before being adopted by me.

We live in an Art Deco styled white weatherboard house where the kitchen (located in the centre of the house) is definitely where all the action happens. The heart of our home then would surely have to be the red laminex table and chairs where our family sits down to share meals every day, craft activities are executed, cups of tea are drunk and newspapers read, conversations are exchanged and meals are prepared.

The chrome still shines, the table top has been wiped a thousand times and still looks good and the matching red and grey vinyl chairs could do with being re-upholstered but considering how old she is – I reckon she is doing a fine job of making our house a home.

Kitsch Religious Iconography

Yesterday as I wandered around the house deciding which items from my small collection of kitsch religious iconography I was going to photograph for this entry, I noticed one thing in particular. The images I am most attracted to are of mother and child or various incarnations of Devi, the mother goddess.

I am particularly fond of Laksmi who is the Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity, light, wisdom, fortune, fertility, generosity and courage; and the embodiment of beauty, grace and charm. She is believed to protect her devotees from all kinds of misery and money-related sorrows.

I think I’m also attracted to these images because they portray the essence of female energy and life force (shakti). Every now and then their colours capture my attention and they make me smile…..thank goddess or should I say goodness?

Kilt pins

Nothing goes to waste in my studio. I have bags and bags of fabric scraps and of course lots of small pieces of the upcycled felted woollen jumpers I use for my Cast offs scarves and blankets. I am always thinking of things I can make with the scraps – my ultimate satisfaction is to design and make a product from the waste, generated from the affluent society I am fortunate enough to live in.

I have always been attracted to everyday objects that others may overlook. I have no idea why but things like pegs, matchboxes, safety pins, snap lock bags and corks are the kinds of funny things I like and of course I have a fondness for kilt pins.

They are functional and yet beautifully formed. They can be worn in both a practical and decorative manner - such as protecting a Scotsman’s modesty, fastened as a brooch on a scarf or wrap or used to pin your cardigan together.

I had been making brooch like kilt pins with dangly things hanging off for a while – my focus was shifting and I wanted to make a flower type brooch from my wool scraps. I was sitting in my studio snipping flowers in various sizes – playing around with layering them together and wondering how I could join them without using a button sewn in the centre – that seemed so predictable and somehow unoriginal.

That’s where my kilt pin epiphany moment comes in. I needed a stem for my flower brooch – but also something that would join the layered flowers together and fasten the flower to your scarf or cardigan. Once I had made a few and worn them a bit – I knew I was onto something. Cast offs Botanical Kilt pins were born and almost 700 kilt pins later…..I think they have been a definite winter winner.

Kewpie Dolls

How sweet are Kewpie Dolls! From the moment I first saw one – I was in LOVE – which makes sense as their name, often shortened to "Kewpies", is derived from "cupid", the Roman god of beauty and non-platonic love.

I just think they are so appealing – their cute, chubby little bodies and cheeks. They remind me of my little 15 month old son Milo at the moment – who absolutely LOVES eating but is yet to walk – so everyday he seems a little rounder and once those little legs get going it will all fall off and he will be ACTION toddler. Oh no….what am I in for!

Of course – Kitty and I have a wee collection of Kewpies. Which we love. Some tiny and some big. We are yet however to get a giant Kewpie – which I would totally love. It’s one of those things though…there is always something else to spend my money on!

Kewpie Dolls