Hideaway Quilt Completed!

I just sort of can't believe that I made this. I am definitely pleased with my first attempt at quilting, certainly I have much to improve on, and that's how we develop our skills I suppose. Either way, I will be very happy to gift this to my little brother's new baby if she is a girl, and I am ordering some great new fabric I found online yesterday to make a boyish one too, either way, the spare quilt will have a loving home here with my three little people!

Safe to say I am well on my way to quilting addiction, there are so many lovely fabrics available, and it is very special to create something that will provide warmth, comfort and cuddles... Happy days!

Frilly Apron

The new Machine and I looked at each other for a couple of days. Between my shifts at the hospital, and mothering my children, the best I could manage was to steal glances, taking off the shiny plastic cover and running my fingers over the beautiful new Brother NV200 who has come to live with me as mentioned in my last post. I flicked through the manual in bed at night, marvelling at the cleverness... the stitches, all 80 of them, and wait for it..... the self threading needle! I kid you not (clearly I have a lot to learn!) So the first thing I had to do was to try out this automatic needle threading business. Oh, swoon... I am in love! What to make, what to make... and we had a friend's daughter's 3rd birthday coming up on the weekend, little girls are always fun to create things for. In my growing stash I found some contrasting green and white rose bud fabric and I knew straight away I should have a go at one of those darling little girl frilly aprons I had pinned to Pinterest in the recent weeks. Friday night I would be home with the children, the party wasn't until Saturday morning, I can do this... brilliant idea! Interestingly, I had some unexpected guests pop in on Friday evening and they stayed for dinner of course, so I was up early on Saturday morning to get that gift made ready for the 10.30am party! Thanks to my clever new machine, NOT A PROBLEM!!!!   

Just over an hour after I started, I had completed my first project on my new machine, quite delighted I am! No pattern, just cut and sew... in fact, the apron just came together really easily. Happy days! My darling daughter happily models the finished product below...

I'll say it again, I was delighted with the end product! What I was not prepared for was the three year old birthday girl's expression when she opened the gift and put it on, she really, really loved it! Wow... doesn't that feel amazing!   

Some days are simply awesome. 

Sitting Mats

As I have mentioned, two of my three children suffer quite severe eczema. One of their biggest triggers is their allergy to dust mites, (which actually is an allergy to dust mite poo if we are going to be precise.) The problem with this allergy is that it is impossible to avoid entirely, as dust mites are impossible to remove from the human environment, seeing as their staple diet is shed human skin cells! Sure we can minimise exposure with strategies such as using appropriate bedding protection, minimising carpets, washing very regularly, drying linen in the sunshine, and regularly using a vacuum cleaner equipped with a hospital grade HEPA filter such as my gorgeous Dyson Vac. But what to do when Kindergarten starts and our little guy has to spend a lot of time on the floor during class time, ie "floor time". I didn't really like the idea of having him always having to sit on a chair while the others all sat on the floor during news, play, games, reading, groups or floor time. I also was concerned as I felt it would separate him from the class... well, then there was the similarity with the "thinking chair" which is a place the children go to sit when they play up!

  

So, I came up with the idea of making him a mini quilt that he could take to school to sit on, a 'sitting mat' as he calls it. I actually made two and we have been rotating them every 4 or 5 days allowing me time to wash and dry them to keep them friendly on his skin. Cotton strips, using the quilt-as-you-go method, with soft flannel backing, one in dinosaur print and the other in police print so he can tell which one is to bring home to wash and which one is fresh. 

 These were my 1st quilt-as-you-go projects, and I am quite chuffed with how they turned out, so fast and effective! Happy days!

A Chair bag!

So, it's been a while... again! But I have been a little busy on the creative front lately, for a change, I just wanted to share a few of my little projects with you as I've been on a bit of a roll! (it's amazing how the creative juices begin to flow when one is free and has something called 'time' after four and a half years at
Uni!).

A nice place to be, back behind the sewing machine....

My big school boy loves his chair bag, and especially loves the pirate pocket for his little bits and pieces. Happy days! 

That's it done and dusted!

So, huge news in my world.... a few weeks ago I finished my Bachelor of Nursing degree! Final grades are in, and the GPA is pretty damn impressive if I do say so myself! After my last exam, we (hubby, 3 kids and I) absconded to the beach with friends for a few days of much needed caravan camping R&R.

I felt very special and spoilt when our friends cracked a bottle of Pink Moet and Chandon in my honour to celebrate.

Mmmmm.... take me back!

Life is returning to 'normal' and I have been so busy trying to restore order to our world. I have been de-cluttering like a mad woman (after four and a half years at Uni, there is much to catch up on)! Over one (of MANY) recent champagne sipping session, we worked out that I have spent about 2 and a half years of this degree breast feeding, 8 months of it pregnant, and each round trip between campus and home is 3 hours in the car, so travel time = whoa! Then there is the 23 x 40 hour working weeks I completed on clinical practicum, which was of course UNPAID, oh how life will be so different with an income!

On the subject of income, I was lucky enough to be offered BOTH new grad positions I applied for, (life is kinda amazing right now) and I accepted one in private health as they offered me the most amazing critical care rotation.

If I could say anything to myself 5 years ago (or anyone in that position), it would be 'working HARD for your dreams is worth it!' Sure Uni is hard work, but if you love what you do the battle is half won.

Stress and Joy

Uuugh! So apparently sitting and knitting in front of Dancing With The Stars is not conducive to completing DKA assignment, which happens to be due tomorrow.
So computer is now on... and I find myself on blogger.... I come here most days to read my faves, but I haven't contributed anything lately as life has been busy, and I spend way to much time at the computer as it is...

The beautiful CAZ really hit a nerve with me with her post, except my 'thing' is UNI work/study/assignments. My children miss me, I know it. They ask questions like "Mummy, when you finish the Uni, will you be like a normal Mummy?" (excuse self to stick head in the washing pile and wipe tears). My husband resents the strong pull of study, he has a day off and I see an opportunity to send him out the door on an adventure with the kids to give me a few hours of uninterupted time to research and write my latest paper...or I sneak into bed at 2am after a marathon study sesh hoping he doesn't wake up and realise how late it is and remind me of it if I complain of fatigue to him tomorrow... it is a juggle, but when I drop a ball it has consequences on the people I love the most. I feel the most incredible guilt... and mostly because I LOVE what I am doing and learning and working towards. Ironic much?

Nurse, registered nurse, Sister, RN... 4 years behind me, 6 months to go and that is what I will be!

Hectic. I have almost completed the 1st semester for my final year! I should be an old hand at this by now, I have been studying my Bachelor of Nursing since June 2007, that's almost 4 years! But it does not get any easier. I started my Uni journey as a 29 year old mother of two, my youngest was just 5 monthes old! I would dash to daycare between lectures and tutorials to breastfeed him, and somehow it all just worked. Then in 2008, we discovered that we were going to be blessed with baby number three! I decided not to defer, so instead I dropped the clinical units for one year and carried on at a half workload of external units during 2009. Baby number three decided to shake things up a little and arrived in week 3 of the semester, at 6 weeks early!!! So, suffice to say, I have been a busy Mumma the whole of my Uni life, and I have spent most of this degree juggling children, breastfeeding, naps, and a shift working husband quite successfully! Surprisingly enough, I mostly feel like an at home Mumma, as I have usually only had to attend campus 2 days a week during semester, then I do my prac blocks. I feel so lucky.

But this is final year. This is when they cram having to attend campus each day (3 hour round trip in the car) for 4 weeks, then 6 weeks of UNPAID full time work on prac (yes, the childcare bills will be haunting me!)... we also have essays and papers, and assignments to churn out and exams to prepare for. And I gotta do it all over again next semester! My baby is now 2.... enough said! My middle boy is now 4, and our big girl is in year 1. This is the dining chair beside me holding the text I am reading or needing this week...

The contents of the children's lunch boxes have become much less naked and much MUCH more packaged, the homework is not being attended to every evening, the dog is lacking in walkies, and my kids are looking deep into my eyes looking for the relaxed Mumma they much prefer. So here I am, 4 years into my journey, and I am asking myself "Why did I do this?" but I remember often, because something little happens, and I feel the excitement stir.

So, VERY long story short..... I kept turning to my favourite  Mummyblogs for inspiration, Thankyou to my wonderful favourites! I just couldn't beleive it when I received a little message from the very inspirational Naomi from Seven Cherubs telling me I had WON her AMAZING giveaway! I am not sure if she would understand HOW much she has cheered me these last 2 monthes at Uni... the KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON tea towel is hanging over my study area... oh yeah baby!

The little pear notes make me smile every time I use them, I make banana bread just to use the gorgeous little Kawaii measuring spoons... ohh love! But those Sunny Mummy organisers, what the hell did I do before those! Miss 7, the hubby, and I refer to them always to know who has to be where and when, so great when hubby works 7 days a week on shifts! From the bottom of my heart, thankyou to my bloggie girlfriends, who I LOVE to visit most days, who make me smile, and inspire me to be better everyday!

Happy

So, I have attempted many postings over the last few weeks, but they have all been waaaay to negative for my 'happy place' blog. I am back at Uni for my FINAL year, and things have been crazy hectic. I am a frazzled, stressed, anxious ball of a mother, who is trying my very hardest not to raise my voice or throw a cranky glance at my darlings when they do the slightest irritating thing, like forget where they left their shoes.

Oh.... the Mummy guilt, it is crippling me at the moment. There are two forces at war inside of me, the Mumma who wants to be the best Mumma I can be, providing a warm and safe and calm, loving environment for my darlings, and then there's the Mumma who's been around alot longer, before three darlings arrived, the one who has her own dreams and goals, and who has worked damn hard at them. So, here I am, only a few monthes from realising a very big, lifelong dream, to become a Registered Nurse... I should be on top of the world. But the guilt is winning out at the moment. And I have a MOUNTAIN of work to get through...

So.... here's some inspiration I went and found (on my beloved youtube!) just puts a little perspective back into my day. Thought I would share and spread some positivity!