Small Miracles, M'dear

When I started teaching, there was a much experienced, extremely talented and highly revered teacher on staff who was a cross between the Queen and your favourite aunt. She always wore stockings, had her hair set weekly and could find the beauty and intelligence in every student who entered her room. If you asked how her day had been, she would reply, "Achieved small miracles, m'dear, small miracles." My very dear friend and I were quite taken with this expression and it has slipped into our vernacular. If ever I hear that she has been achieving small miracles, I know it is my duty to make a cup of tea and take the emergency Christmas cake out of the freezer ready to sustain her when she arrives. It goes without saying that she would do the very same thing for me.

Yesterday was certainly a day for the Christmas cake to defrost. I really achieved small miracles. I needed to move my creative space/sewing paraphenalia from the corner of our bedroom. To do that, I cleaned, tidied, rearranged and reorganised no less than 3 bedrooms, our lounge room and the PLAYROOM. Please remember, this room is home to the accumulated toys of 3 small children and I did this while they were helping me! I am generally a fairly organised person and try to keep a handle on the domestic scene, but, by jingoes, what a day. It was all worth it. The 51/2 year old button loves his rejigged bedroom and feels like he has a space to play with all his non toddler friendly lego, Mr Button can retire at night without feeling the need to consult the sewing schedule and the lounge room has had a revamp and now includes a small play nook for the small fry.

The Playroom is a triumph. I am happy to report that all 43 of our puzzles are completed and have no missing pieces. After a little bit of creative rearranging, I have taken over a third of the room and have used the Cute as Buttons screen to tidy away the sewing corner when it is not in use. I would love to do some daytime sewing so I am hoping the twins will play with their things and I can play with my things! I do hope none of you were hurt as you fell off your chair laughing at that last comment.

My new roomates seem surprised to see me!

It is not finished yet...needs painting and some pretty things on my wall. I am also going to put a table and chairs in the centre of the rug like the cute one at Beach Vintage...her creative space is gorgeous. Mine is on the way! It was a pleasure to sit and sew tonight!

Thought for Thursday (I know - it's Friday!)

Chains do not hold us together. It is threads, hundreds of tiny threads which sew people together through the years.

Simone Signoret

One of the things I love about school holidays is the opportunity to catch up with old friends and family members. As children, a train trip to the city and lunch in a cafe was part of every school holiday. It was a chance to catch up with my Nin and a myriad of cousins and aunts. My Mum comes from a family of seven girls so people watching one of these assembled gatherings probably thought we belonged to some sort of polygamous sect! I am eternally grateful to my Mum, Nin and aunts for making this outing a priority in their lives. At times, it would have been a big financial and physical effort but oh, the beautiful, beautiful rewards we have reaped as a result of their efforts.

As my darling buttons now take up these threads and I help them find their place in my big and beautiful family, I am glad I have this legacy to share with them. Although we don't gather as frequently as we did, we still gather and I love watching my cousins' adult children play with my babies. There are so many wise and wonderful human beings in this collection of people and we are blessed to be sewn together with them. Thanks, Nin - the most talented seamstress of all!

Straight to the Precious Things Cupboard

Howdy, Strangers. I've been absent a bit this week due to school holiday merriment. We've been up to our armpits in playdough, duplo and little people (of the Fisher Price variety). In my spare time I've also had a bit of catch up sewing to get on with so I've had to spell the blog for a few days.

Thanks for your enquiries regarding Mr Button's recovery. Both families are well and enjoying the Autumn weather. Your kind words have been appreciated. We've also appreciated some super posts by our blogging friends who've made us feel loved and honoured. Thanks to Rachael from Boutique Markets, Micky from Handmadies and Liesa from Handmade Heaven. Pop over and see what these lovely ladies have to say. It is gratifying to know that you like what we do.

Tonight's title is a very bad take on a classic line from the iconic film, The Castle. In the Kerrigan's home, anything of note went straight to the poolroom. We Buttons do not have a poolroom, but, we do have a Precious Things Cupboard. Said cupboard is a silky oak sideboard on which reside a number of beautiful things which are precious for all sorts of reasons. The oil lamp my Dad used to do his homework by, figurines given to us to celebrate our babies' births and candles in bowls I've found in odd places and lots of other treasures. It often is home to a beautiful drawing, a playdough sculpture or an intricate lego construction. We have a very fluid definition of precious and at the moment, it is also the home of my new cordless mouse!

Now, I am sure that the wonder of a cordless mouse is not a new thing for many of you but it is a thing of wonder and rare beauty to me. I cannot believe how much easier this natty little gadget has made my life. It would seem I have made a reasonable amount of fuss about this new addition to our home, as during a quick tidy up, my 51/2 year old button decided the most fitting place for this little critter was right on top of the Precious Things Cupboard. Looks right at home, doesn't he?

Late news

A quick post to let you know that unfortunately, we will not be at The Handmade Expo tomorrow, as we had planned. Mr Button is still recovering from his operation and is not up to manhandling the small buttons in and out of highchairs and nappies so I am going to keep the homefires burning. Sharon has nursed her family through a tummy bug...one after the other! She is now taking her turn with the bug and has wisely chosen not to share it with the general public.

We are sorry to miss last Expo at the Ipswich Showgrounds but we are looking forward to the new home at the Turf Club. If there is something you want and you don't want to wait until our next market, please email us at cuteasbuttons@aanet.com.au and tell us what you are after. If you are an Ipswich resident, we'll take it into Liesa at Handmade Heaven and she will take wonderful care of you. If Ipswich isn't your hometown, we will give you a call and see what arrangements we can make.

Have a great day out at The Expo tomorrow. We'll be thinking of you!

Thought for Thursday

We are all angels with one wing. The only way forward, therefore, is to embrace one another.

Unknown

My life is blessed with many angels. This week I have been reminded of their importance in my life. Thank you, Angels for lending me your wings! You bring beauty and ease to my days.

I hope that you, too, are blessed by angels who help you fly!

Lovely Blogs to Enjoy

I'm using tonight's post to finish something we started a little while ago. Steph from A Pocketful of Buttons gave us two lovely awards and this is our time to pass on the second award. It was nice to be recognised by Steph and I hope that our recipients feel the same warm fuzzies and they may choose to pass this on in turn.

This award is the One Lovely Blog award and the rules are as follows:

1. Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link.

2. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you have newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

Now, some of these blogs are not so newly discovered as others, but all of them are part of my daily reads and I gain great joy from them. I have tried to choose different blogs for each award to share the love....sorry you had to wait a little while for this one!

Liesa from Handmade Heaven

I could easily have given her both awards cos she is such an avid and chatty blogger, but I thought her Mum at Bubba Chenille might like to do a bit of awarding

Micky from Handmadies

who is lauching herself into the business of blogging and doing wonderfully well

The team from The Handmade Expo

because they do such a good job of promoting handmade goodness

Clare from Clare's Craftroom

who has great taste and fabric combinations

Tania from Myrtle & Eunice

because she makes me giggle and improves my day

Nicole from Bits of Toffee

she is a teacher in so many ways

The team from Boutique Markets

because they have reinvented themselves with style and grace

Audrey from Audrey's Crafts

who promotes other blogs very well

Cathy from Peg & Kate

has a lovely country feel to her blog

Annie from Red Bamboo

who makes me wish I could pop to Tasmania for a quick visit and to see some of the talented folk

Angela from Cowboys n Cupcakes

who I've just found and I really like her things

Liesl from Hoppo Bumpo

who makes family life a great read

Nikki from WhiMSy Love

reading this blog is like a shot of caffeine for the creative soul

the Mango Wednesday Gals

who have beautiful work and make our market days more fun

Louise from Miffy's World

great ideas which she shares generously

Wow! What a list. Thank you for your lovely blogs and for your sharing part of yourselves with us! I hope you have a chance to visit over the next few days.

Nose/No Nose?

Thanks for the comments and emails about the planes. I am having a great time sewing them. I'm hoping you are still in the mood for giving feedback...I have for your consideration Perce the Pirate. He is very dashing and I think his manly, chenille beard gives him a slightly rakish air. Now, I believe Perce is a finished product, however, some members of the CFT (Customer Feedback Team) asked me how I was going to finish him? Don't you hate it when that happens? So I am now in a bit of a quandry....should he remain as is or should I add a nose...or perhaps a tooth? I could embroider a bit of nose...what do you think?

Any and all ideas considered and greatly appreciated. Make sure I can contact you via your comment and I will put your names in a hat and let one of the little buttons select someone to receive a little thank you gift.

I will need to take a leave of absence over the next day or so. Mr Button is going into hospital to have an AV Fistula operation tomorrow and he'll need a bit more attention than usual. I'm hoping to post later in the week, but I'll try to check in and see how you're travelling in the meantime. Have a great week.