we heart books, old books

Once upon a time.... there was a beautiful, and magical book my mum used to read me, and one that I eventually read on my own, over and over again. A favourite. A book that created a magical world for me to live in. A world that blanked out all the bad things in my childhood. A place I could escape to. A safe place. A magical world full or exciting lands with beautiful friends, Moon-Face and Silky. The Magic Faraway Tree.

I knew I had to find this book and I was very disappointed to find out that my favourite book is no longer released in to Australia in the big and beautifully illustrated book I used to read as a child. Now it comes in black and white and is a third of the size. I ventured into my local secondhand bookstore, one I have never been in to find my book. I instantly found my other childhood favourite, The Adventures of The Wishing-Chair, sitting on display right near the counter, in new condition and with a dust jacket. It was $38. I didn't even hesitate, I picked it up, and hunted for more. I love Enid Blyton and I recongnised every title that was on the shelf. Books I read throughout my childhood were all there in their original condition. I was in my bookstore.

I found some awesome Dr Seuss books for Taj and for Keely. They are in great condition as well and were snapped up to add to our reading list. I was just about to leave with Taj when I asked the lady if she had a copy of The Magic Faraway Tree. She said she thought there was one and hunted the whole store to not find one.

I bought the books I had and then as I was about to leave, Taj started pulling at a closed cupboard door to an antique cupboard and inside was more children's books. There placed in the middle of the pile was my book. Taj found it! The lady took it out and we both could not believe the condition it was in and for $50 it was a great find. She told me she would have thought it would be closer to $150 for the condition it was in. So I took it and I skipped the whole way to pick up Keely from pre school.

I know it may seem weird, but I was so happy. I read to Keely that same day. I read like I had never read to her before. I was excited. She wanted me to read faster and faster. Keely wanted to meet Moon-Face, and climb higher in the tree.

A book my mum read to me I now read to my daughter.

craft monday :: chalk

I have played this craft game before with Keely and I thoroughly enjoy having her at my feet creating magic all over my kitchen floor. There is something about craft that is not messy, easy and still creative. I love chalk. I love how simple it is and how wonderful it is for your little people to draw with an element that is easily removed and one that can even be used outside.

The inspiration Keely had for her drawing was from a beautiful children's book that I have been reading her. One that I had as a child and one that I was lucky enough to find on Friday. I cannot tell you how happy I am and the emotions this book is giving me. Today I share her images of her beautiful imagination and tomorrow I will share with you the book and other books I bought. Books that make me happy and sad.

You don't need to have a concrete floor to allow your children go for it when it comes to chalk. You do not even need a kitchen door as a chalkboard. There are sidewalks outside. There are walls. Chalk comes off in the rain, and it is special to have their masterpiece for everyone to see.

Enjoy the non-messy craft and buy your little ones some big chalk.

creative canon :: reflection two

This week has been really busy. I will be honest and say I have not really thought about my reflection theme as much as I would have liked to. Firstly I will show off the image Lou from Canon Chronicles took with reflection in a mirror of those divine little ballet legs. There is something about little people with their ballet outfits on. I still have Keely's first ever uniform.

My reflection will have to be a reflection of my week. It has been all about Little Pinwheel as summer stock has been arriving, winter orders have been processed for next winter, loading of all new stock on the website, and lots of photographs have been taken. I have not been going to bed before midnight for the whole week, and it has been one whole big adrenalin rush. I must say I love it, and I love everything that comes with Little Pinwheel. Bring on the chaos, as there will be a lot more for the rest of the year as more stock arrives and then the christmas shopping begins. {aahhh}!

What is on for the weekend? Are you doing anything exciting? I am missing my waffle date tomorrow, not too sure what will take its place. I still might go with the little ones on our own. They are pretty good, and the coffee rocks. I have my awesome sunday date and I cannot wait to see Anna's new home. It will be beautiful. I am hoping for lovely weather to complete the end of winter as we kick of spring mid week next week. {Just a quiet jump off my seat and in the air for the warmer weather}. This is my last weekend of really naughty, and yummy food and coffee. Although I am now down to one full strength coffee a day. Almost kicked it, says she who is about to go to her cafe craving coffee. Hmm, maybe two this morning, I have a headache!

Enjoy your weekend!

we love MINTI

I love when a new season starts, especially when it comes to fashion. It feels like christmas right now for me with all the lovely new stock falling at my doorstep. I have been busy unpacking boxes and filling orders for customers all over the world. When I receive stock in I love to photograph it on my little ones and use these images for the website and for the business.

Yesterday Simon and I photographed Minti on Keely and Taj, and it was awesome. I am really impressed with Minti and it looks fantastic on them. We had a blast, and were able to capture some fun images in between takes and also the modeled poses.

Keely was right in her element and loved showing off her new threads for summer. Everything she modeled I bought her. She wanted to be dressed in Minti this summer, and who was I to say no with such a hot label.

Keely will be wearing some other brands this summer too, but Minti is her staple brand. Taj was rockin' Minti. He was a little harder to shoot, but we managed to capture some cool images, one of which is now on the front page of the website.

Heavenly Creatures arrived late yesterday so there are a lot more images to be captured. Keely tried on all of the girls and it is divine. There is something magical about this label, and you can see fairy tales come alive.

There are busy times ahead for Little Pinwheel and I know the next few months will be a test of my balancing between being a mother, friend and a business woman. The main thing is I love all that comes with Little Pinwheel and I know with my heart behind it there will be a lot of Little Pinwheel to be seen in the future.

the babychino by taj

There is an art to drinking ones babychino; just ask Taj. Today he is going to give you a run down on how your little people should be drinking them, and also how you should be if you are inclined to try it out for yourself. For me I leave it for the little people, not a fan of the warm milk, although I have been able to eat a few stray marshmallows.

Enjoy your day today. I am off to photograph the new Minti summer stock in the studio.... awesome label. I will then follow this with some coffee drinking and white toast eating at my cafe. All the things that will be gone by the end of the month; for a week that is, maybe? You know you want to join me for the cleanse next week! Pop on over to Nat's blog, there are warm up steps to the week of cleansing your way into spring.

See you tomorrow with some awesome images of the new Minti on my little people; if all goes according to plan. It is a full moon, anything can happen!

date night

Being a woman I love to have date nights. We all need a date night! My date nights consist of emailing back and forth with my lovely friend in Melbourne. She is the friend, Nat, who is putting me through the cleansing week. Last weekend we decided it was time to do no work. It was saturday night. One should do something a little different. It was Nat who twisted my arm and told me that I am a little crazy and should be having a little more fun on a saturday night.

my wish list

We drank our herbal teas, and we went shopping. Flicking email after email to each other with our favourite finds. How lucky I am that I did not actually purchase a thing, as I would have been broke. There of course were some fun pretend purchases. We were a little mean to each other, and decided it would be fun to pick out the perfect clothes for each other. This is a game I play with another one of my friends, Anna. I am always thoughtfully dressing Anna, although I am not sure if she thinks of it that way. Anna too gets into the game, and we have stepped it up a notch by choosing matching outfits.

nat's wish list

It is nice to have routines. Not just for the little people but for yourself. I am trying to put me first a little and having my own routines is allowing me to do this with a bit more ease, and less guilt. Even if one of my routines involves online window shopping on a saturday night.

Do you have a date night? What do you do? It has to be a bit more romantic then two friends virtual shopping. Although I must say it was awesome. There will be a second date.

my little chef

There is nothing like cooking with little people. I have said this over and over again. But seriously it is fun. I am a messy cook, so for me it is no different then cooking on my own. Taj is obsessed with cooking, and I mean obsessed. It is one of the first things he does in the morning when he gets up. He raids my cupboard, the drawers and puts together his own little kitchen. I am tripping over pots and pans all day.

While Keely was at pre school last week I thought it was time to involve Taj in our cooking adventures. Out came a banana muffin recipe from the latest Notebook magazine and off we cook, cook, cooked. (That is what Taj says, over and over again). The muffins were great and I was very impressed to see Keely eat them too. I however never told her about the mashed up banana that went in them. I told her they were vanilla! I have frozen half for the week ahead. This stops me from eating them all, and so far this is working.

This week I am not to sure what we will bake. I am missing our carrot and walnut cake, and it is high on my list. I have to give half away though, because I can honestly sit and eat the whole cake.

Do you bake with your little people? How do you stop yourself from eating the whole sweet treat?

creative canon :: reflection

This week was a beautiful theme with reflection being our inspiration. It was very interesting to see that we both came up with completely different meanings for reflection. Lou's image from Canon Chronicles is reflection on life. This is such a personal and beautiful image.

I decided to go for reflection as in the seeing yourself in a reflective object. I love how I captured Taj picking his nose! The post he is looking into is very dirty, and probably from other little people doing the same thing!

Next week Lou and I are swapping and I will do an image reflecting on my life and she will do a reflection through an object. I hope you all have a lovely weekend!

the brick wall

Do you ever feel you are hitting your head against a brick wall? You know deep inside that you are walking on a good path, but there are walls to jump over. There are even walls that are so high you have to work your way through them, as there is no way around them. Well I am trying to work my way through a wall right now. I am not too sure what is on the other side, but one can only hope that it is not another wall.

I am feeling a little stuck. Maybe a little unsure of where I am going. I am happy. But there is something that is making me not as happy as I would like to be. Little Pinwheel is going great. I am loving every bit of it. I love the customer service, and the customers. I love the fact all the new summer stock is coming and has started to arrive. There is a lot of positive out of a change of season, and I am not just talking about clothes.

People become happier when the sun is shining. Those who hibernated away for the winter start to come out again. It is like you are reborn. Although for me I have been out and about. Splashing in those puddles, walking in the wind and the rain, and also playing in the winter sunlight. I think personally for me right now I have a lot going on. I have to respect myself more and not punish myself. I have changed a lot in four years. I have changed a lot this year. I have had to. There is no choice but to grow stronger. But there are also the times when it is easier to punish myself and not hear my own cries from deep inside.

I am not the only one. I have no doubt all of what I am saying is part of your lives too. We all have our things, and what maybe be a small thing to one, will be a big thing for another. There is no comparison. Life can be hard. There are hurdles. They are there everyday. It is just how we deal with them and most importantly how we look after ourselves while doing so. That is the part I am trying to learn.

It is time to be gentle with me.

spring body challenge

I think I drink too much coffee! I have been writing another blog and I have noticed a lot of my posts are surrounded by coffee images. This being the case I am taking up a challenge. A huge challenge. My lovely friend, Nat, from The Pagoda Tree is doing a Spring Body Challenge. I am in. I need to be in! Nat talks about needing a support person. That one person that is there to help you through this body cleanse week while you give up all the good things in life, and better still that person will join in and be your challenge buddy.

lovely Nat, my support person and creator of the spring challenge

What will happen to my morning coffee? My cafe will miss me. I will miss my cafe. Not the saturday waffles! My saturday friend will find a new waffle buddy. What about my sunday breakfast date? I do hope Nat realises that this not only will change my body, but will also change my mind.

Now I get it. This is Nat's grand plan. It is all about the mind, body and spirit. I have no doubt I can do this.(I also have no doubt I will be back to my routine the following week)! Nat is my support person.... sucker!Living in another state she will be receiving numerous phone calls. I am sure they will be not very nice. There is no doubt they will be phone calls from the confectionary isle in my supermarket, standing outside my cafe as I try to take sneaky sips out of strangers coffee cups, and the abuse about the withdrawal headache I will have for the first few days.

I do hope that my regular dates for the week realise I am going to try and put them up for the challenge. It would only be fair to support their friend and not rub in the fact they are either eating a waffle, sipping a divine coffee, or eating mushrooms on very naughty white bread.

I am in training. I am about to go for my morning exercise, followed by a coffee.... oh the sweet coffee. Yes this is going to be hard. The training is not working. Do you think you can call "training" drinking as much coffee, and placing huge amounts of naughty treats in your mouth before you start the cleanse?

Come join me?

{starts september 1 :: spring}