{Paper Heart Garland}

A dear friend of mine had her wedding day recently. She saw my heart garland I made for my valentines day dinner for my husband and asked if I would make something for her special day to give it a handmade touch. I have to admit I made it up as I went and I was over the moon with the result.
The couple are a beautiful couple and are both sickly talented in so many areas, especially musically. The groom proposed to her after singing her a song in front of friends. He even gave the wedding guests an encore of it in addition to serenading the bride in front of us all in a truely tearful moment that moved us all!

So, to personalise this decoration I went to an Op-shop (Vinnies) and found some old sheet music and got to work (silently appologising to those who took to the time to write the music).

I gently pulled the staples out and folded the papers back along the crease. Then I cut strips of paper from the fold to the open side about 3cm wide making a V shape. To make the double heart shape you need to cut half the strips a few cms shorter (this allows the inside heart to be smaller and fit inside the outside one.

Slip the strips inside each other so the folds are snug and staple together. (bottom left hand and centre pictures).

Then fold the top stips around to make the heart shape and so that they are all aligned and staple the four of them together. (bottom picture right hand side)

WALLAH!


I repeated this many times over and then gently placed them into a box to transport to the wedding. Then using some gorgeous rustic twine (think it came from bunnings) I stickly taped them onto the string and created a bunting effect. This formed a banner the bride walked under as she stepped onto the red carpet of the isle and then we moved it to drape on the cake table for the reception. I loved the way it turned out and glad it added a little something extra to a friends' special day.

{the only shot of the hearts I have at the ceremony, and will have to get some clearer ones when the photos come out from the fantastic 1tree}
{Thanks to 1tree Photography for these photos - you are very talented indeed!}

Lauren x

{A gorgeous car mat for my gorgeous nephew}

As a mum of two boys, my handbag is often filled with extra's for them like dummys, drink bottles, crayons and of course CARS. My boys are OB-SESSED with cars!!!

So, when I saw some of these (in varying styles) online in my blog roll, they very quickly made it to my "to-do list" of projects. So, a month or so ago I started to put together something and decided to make it for my nephews 3rd birthday.
It is baisically a small quilt FULL of activity and I was so happy with how it turned out. I think I am going to make one for my little man's 2nd birthday in June too. The things that made this car mat so cool for me was the 'parking garage storage' for the cars and the portability of it, making it really easy to pop in the handbag and take anywhere. My boys just loved the ducky's and the petrol pump (the shoelace pump made it functional and a big hit).

A fun project and I can't wait to do it again!!!!

Lauren x

{Our 2011 Easter}

What a beautiful Easter this was this year. Sharing time with friends and family and reflecting on such an important time of year. My Mr 4 yr old shared that on Good friday we don't have to be sad because Jesus comes back alive again and He did it to make our hearts clean again. Such wisdom from my little man and I couldnt have put it better. Here are some photos of our Easter celebrations.

Our Easter cake that was shared at a Good friday dinner with friends.

Preparing some easter cards to put with some eggs and Easter Story books for the neighbours ;)


Trying to find all the eggs out the back the bunny left for us....the bunny even left a special package for mummy and daddy!

Little Mr was more concerned with lining them up on the chair than finding them :)

Evening up the loot! Might actually take some time to make baskets next year
(feel slack now hahaha).

Easter morning gets a thumbs up!

And little Mr tried to put his thumb up but we just point instead! GORGEOUS!

I hope that your Easter was full of lovely moments and that you shared them with those whom you love!



Bless you;
Lauren x

{Texta'd Walls, Tantrums, Tiredness and Keeping it Real}

I have had some time away from the blog to focus on my family for a little while. It was definitley needed, but I have missed my blog. I find that this is an online journal for me and makes me a better person as it stretches me and connects me with some amazing ideas across the blogging world.

However, I have read a post on Be A Fun Mum recently which moved me greatly and has been on my mind. That, paired with a conversation with a friend about burnt dinners a few weeks ago, has inspired this post.

Our society is preoccupied with the pursuit of perfection in all different sorts of ways.
It is percieved and assumed that the standard of success is to live up to a "catalogue life". To be perfect parents, in the perfectly kept house, drive a perfect car, have the perfect 'magazine worthy' figure, dress perfectly and, with perfect sit still and well adjusted children that never misbehave. I think it is interesting how images of 'perfection' bombard us in our world 24/7!!
We all to SOME extent (and maybe even sub-consciously) chase the unattainable, impossible pursuit of this life that we 'so called expected' to live. None of us can ever live up to this ridiculous assumption.

REAL LIFE will look different for everyone, and I wanted to take this opportunity to share what REAL looks like to me.
1. I love folding washing, its often what I do in front of a favourite TV show. But I am the worst at putting it away! I have great intentions and put family members clothes in their own baskets. But they often sit in the respective bedrooms until I realise I need the baskets for the same process to start again! lol 2. There are many recipes and meals that DON'T make it to the blog. You don't see me post about the nights where I only have the energy to heat up baked beans on toast for dinner and end up burning the toast in the process!

3. Some mornings, I stumble down the stairs with kids in toe and plop him in front of the 'digital babysitter' while I either fumble a tea or coffee or just try to wake up which can take me about an hour sometimes.

4. Why do I wake up like a dishevelled zombie most mornings? Because my greatest weakness is the lack of self-discipline to go to bed early. I stay up too late always, why? Because it is a time where I don't hear "Muuuuuuum", I can clean up and it stays that way for more then 5 mins, I can turn off ABC Kids and watch my shows, It's a time where I can have a toilet break and a shower without visitors. Night time is where I have adult conversations, get to craft or cook and do it by myself! It sounds selfish, I know, but SO much of my world is surrounded by kids (because I love them), so having my time to 'me' is so important, and that often happens at night time.

5. Turn up at my place un-announced (especially during 'happy hour') and you will probably find toys on the floor, dishes stacked next to the sink, baskets of folded washing ;), crumbs and bits of food on the floor under the bench from where the kids made their mark from the last meal. Amidst that, I am probably tearing my 1.5 yo from a texta poised at a wall or him climbing up something at the same time as telling my 4 year old to stop whinging. The joys of multi-tasking.

I love my life, I am blessed to have what I have, but away from the 'blog worthy' photos, this is my reality more often than not. I don't know what your REALITY is, but sometimes this is mine.

Enjoy;
Lauren x