Friday, February 4, 2011

Inspiration..

Should always flow with Motivation? Right?

At the moment i am totally overwhelmed with inspiration from other WAHP's just like myself.
The need to for fill the other role, then just being a parent. The hobby / business that sets you aside.

Ive taken some time over the past few weeks to kick back and read some blogs. Ive not come across some 'In the Spotlight' stories of people such as Tina from Georgie girl, Lilian from Lily Chic Events, Angie and Kristy from AnK Bowtique , Michelle from mishmash Designs , Suzannah Tucker Photography and MANY more that i frequent on a regular basis.

All of these work and home parents give me enormous inspiration, knowing in some way or another are just like me.

Wanting to provide for there families, in anyway possible. Wanting to create that outlet for the built up creativity. Meeting other parents weather it is 'in real life' of through cyber space.

Some days 'Facebook' is my only connection to the outside world! I can honestly go a whole day with having listen only to the people inside my home. Craving a phone call from an Indian man trying to help me fix the 'virus' on my PC...
The Internet gives me that option to see how others are doing.

Ive learnt a great deal about my fellow mums through their interviews and blogs.

Lilian from Lily chic events and Her husband, were blessed with their twin baby girls at 25 weeks. I actually had followed her story on Aurelia and Indiana through the facebook page Lil had set up to update friends and family. My youngest , Phoenix, is a special care baby and i felt her emotions like they were my own.

Tina, from Georgie Girl.. I Had always thought Tina was a Melbournite! Low and behold she is a Brissie Gal! Im based at the northern end of the Gold Coast, i wonder how close we actually are!
AnK are actually a duo!

I had always wondered how the name came about then after seeing Angie and Kristy in the spotlight on Madeit.com.au i finally found out the A is for Angie and the K is for Kristy! Learn a new thing hey!

And Michelle from Mishmash has a gorgeous family of 6 boys and a hubby! Talk about out numbered!

I thoroughly enjoy reading about how they started out, weather the started from scratch or were handed an awesome business opportunity on a silver platter. Because i know , with myself its been a hard hard road.
There have been times when i have completely given up. Thrown the towel in, And actually felt as ease about my decision. Then time mixed with ideas made me realise i could restructure what i didn't enjoy about what i did.. and turn it right around in to something that makes me more happy then any other hobby i do!

That's when i took a different direction.

To me Buttons Dior is a celebration of vintage, time, feeling and buttons. I hand design and craft one of a kind pieces with the first thought that comes to me. I can not and will not make bulk lots of items. And i very rairly take custom orders.
I don't have the time or energy and that is how i failed before. But you learn, you make mistakes and you love the lessons that come because of it.

I give myself no time frame. I can have up to 30+ projects in motion, placed in a expandable folder waiting for there time to be completed. Once they are done, they are any ones.
Sometimes auctioned, sometimes sold, sometimes gifted.

So now i come to my point, i read these blogs over and over, i live a part of the exciting life they have through the Internet, there photos amaze me. I have the power to make my life more content and sorted. Now if anyone knows of a madeit.com.au seller that sells motivation.. Please let me know! I would love to read there blog.

x N

Some of my FAVE Facebook pages and Blogs..




Thursday, February 3, 2011

Mum / Wedding Planner / Future Prime Minister!

Well, maby not the last one. But what us mums are capable of , brings us enough life experience that we should be able to run for President!

For the past 5 months ive spent looking after a new member to our family, born with some unfair health issues. Running a house hold with 3 kids under 5. Birthdays , celebrating Christmas and moving house on Christmas eve!
Being a rock to many friends in need. Especially a close family affected by the devastating Toowoomba floods. By my self and with the resources i have through my page Spreading random Acts of Kindness ( www.facebook.com/sraok) I managed to raise close to $6000 for a Anita and Al who lost there home, farm and livelihood. An intense few weeks of my life, that involved alot of time away from the family. And i can honestly say there are very few i would probably go through it again for. But they were defiantly deserving.
Ive charged through some extreme emotional issues and rough family times. I helped my gorgeous 5 year old through his first day of grade one and my little miss through her 1st day of kindy. My partner and i changing roles, He is now a full time stay at home dad and im back in the work force full time. And that was all in the last 2 months..

And i planned my wedding.


For those of you thinking about planning your own wedding.. Dont. LOL

Well, if you have a less hectic and busy life then us, then DO IT.
Its an awesome experience, but if your tight on time and energy.. then hire a planner.

What i didn't realize at the time of planning was come crunch time, i am the one they will all turn to for the run down. Bombarded with calls and emails left right and center.

From the finer details to the bigger picture, the vows, the table set ups, the hired goods, the baby sitter, the cars, the time frame, the plans.. everything! And that im fine with. But when ive just spend 5 months putting all my energy in to buying and sourcing every last detail for the big day from table runners and center pieces, bonbonaries and place settings. Suits and dresses, shoes and jewelery! Wedding dress delmar's and postage dramas.
I needed another 'me' to handle the dead lines.

Mr 26 had one job. MUSIC. Get some good tunes for us. Which come crunch time.. he came through with the goods.

For those of you interested, or planning your wedding, here is a run down on how far ive come. I haven't added all the finer details, but will so after the big day!

Ill start with the significance of our day. Which i will continue in another entry (I get a little teary)
We are marrying on My grandfathers birthday. Our dates of birth are 3 days apart. And for how ever long i can remember we have always celebrated together. Whether is be Both on his day or both on mine. It was always together. We lost grandad suddenly nearly 3 years ago and with my nans blessing, she allowed us to share our day, with his.


Now! To the shoes!
Master 5 has wanted DC's for about a year now. But as were not really into the whole 'brand name' scene we thought we would hold off. 'He' thought it would be a good idea to have a pair for the wedding. And seen as tho 'Going out shoes' would never get much use again, we agreed that this would be the perfect time for them.
Bargain buys! Master 5's Pinstriped pants were a return to Target, They weren't actually ever stocked in the particular target we shopped at that day. It was total fate that there was 1 pair, in His size, on that day!
Big man and Little man's wedding shoes.
My wedding shoes.
Simple comfy Kmart brand- $15.00 Down to $6.00
Miss 2's Shoes.
Kmart, soft and roomy. $12.00 down to $1.00!
Mens Shirts.
Connor- $89.95 down to $29.95
I bought 4 of them. To wear with Black pants, black shoes and Red suspenders.
S & N - Typo. 3 for $10
Wishing Well
$79.95 down to $31.95
I waited for hours and hours for this one special little parcel!
I washed clothes, did the dishes, put the kids to bed, tidied up then at about 1pm i thought..Hmm i might just go grab a pie from the bakery. I sware on my life the postie saw me leave the house and he danced up my driveway like a pansy and lightly layed this by my door step. Frolicking back to his van laughing at the fact he still had my
WEDDING DRESS!
4 agonizing hours later My MOH and i went and collected 'THE' dress!

Miss 2's Flower girl dress! Pure Black.
Our save the dates.
I hunted every where for the perfect save the dates for 'us' i stumbled across a similar idea on Google and worked on it. We added details like time, date, and accommodation in the area. Attached a magnet to the back and printed them our for a small 8c each!
Gosh it was fun to day!
Just me, him & a niko ..
Im a huge cupcake lover. Everyone know that! So it wouldn't be 'my' wedding without cupcakes! 250 of them! Nom nom!
Ebay $15.00 (inc postage) For 250 cases.

Ebay- 150 fitted white chair covers. used once! $500 including courier.
Red Organza chair sash!
Ebay - 150 for $36.00
Through winning an amazing cupcake tower, I met an amazing person.
Lilian from Lily chic events http://www.lilychicevents.com.au/ had a facebook comp running for the person who could refer the most new fans over to her page! My gorgeous friends got behind me and i WON this stand! Worth $200! Lucy and i had spent days and days hunting for a similar thing and even considered making one out of ply wood! I adore my cupcake tower!
5m Bali flags. From a closing down sale.
10 x 5m flags for $40.00




Our ceremony location!
The gorgeous Ebenezer Park. Right on the Tweed river.

Oh, and this was taken months ago during the rains.. The grass is so lush and green now!

Our Reception venue.
Troi Hilder from Green Mount beach resort has been fan-fricken-tastic with helping me arrange the reception.
We have chosen to have a buffet dinner as our guest list started at 130 people! And after culling and cancellations we've managed to bring it down to a more suitable amount. So the buffet will cater for all food preferences.

Troi took mum and i through a reception set up a few hours before there arrival to see if we like the way it would work and we loved it! I took the photo from the dance floor in front of the bar area.
(The missing chair covers were used on there ceremony chairs.
And our theme is Black, Red and White)

Troi has kept the Saturday before hand free for my army of women to come and attack his venue! Ladies, high on coffee and adreiline.. This is going to be awesome.
My MOH and i are then staying the night (Same bed..Wooot) And will start the day with a delish buffet breaky before the fun really begins!
My Hand made Gauter!
To buy $24.95
To make $3.75

The the peice of gold that started it all.
From the love of my life.

The only thing missing now are Wedding photos!

8 days and counting!

x N

Picture Perfect.

Lately my dreams have constantly been about clutter. Weather its house clutter, fridge clutter or car clutter im always dreaming about climbing over boxes to get to things or finding it hard to drive because of all the rubbish under the accelerator of my car.
Now, i can honestly say my car is far from being like that (Although it has got your general day to day mess and some weeks looks like a 2nd hand shop..)

And my house is well, lived in.

I lay in bed dreaming about pulling everything out of my garage and leaving it on the drive way to be taken by life line. Simply so i don't have to deal with it anymore.
Being a real crafter, i have a ton of supplies, fabric, paints ect that don't have a 'place' they are just stored in our double garage.

Last week i bought Kmart and target out of there storage boxes and organisation materials and yes, they are still sitting in the garage, on my table, waiting to be used.

Our walk-in robe simply isnt 'walk-in-able' its where we go to dig for clothes or long lost items. And our bed room is the storage for ALL items of clothing in our whole house. So we keep that door closed.

I will give myself credit tho. When moving recently i de-cluttered ALOT of our home. I was so shocked at how much i parted with when i went on my cleaning spree. I think im now due for another one. A "Dont think twice" cleanout.

The dreams are sending me crazy. I dream about really sad things. Like wishing my house was in the floods so i could start again. And last night was picturing my house with no roof and empty. See, Pretty intense hey!

My only option is, and ive done it many times now. Is pulling the entire contents of the garage out on to my drive way and sorting. Its the way i seem to get things gone. But i have to do it in small amounts. The heat has been so intense, that i cant bear to be out there for longer then a couple of hours. Especially with the 3 kids under my feet.

So i ask. All of these work at home mums that thrive off and love posting photos of there gorgeous house, immaculate bedrooms, craft areas to die for.. What is the rest of there house like? Have you got target catalogues on your computer table (Underneath your huge Imac , next to your iPad) Do you have 6 week old coles receipts still stuck to your fridge, just in case a shopper docket will come in handy? Is there an empty energy drink can still sitting on your bench from when your husband last used the computer? *Sigh*

Are you constantly fighting a day to day battle on keeping your house in a livable condition? Keeping it free of germs ? Collecting a range of broken toys and torn up news papers?

Or is your life as perfect as your picture?

x N



The aftermath of Christmas eve move



A work in progress