Happy Halloween

As Mr 3.5 says Happy Happy Happy Ween! It has been a busy month so far and standing at the beginning of November I can see many busy weeks ahead as well.

We have just got back from a completely wonderful couple of days in Sydney. It was so incredible to not have anything to do, but eat, shop and wander around.

The only commitments we had to meet were a date with Philip Seymour Hoffman (he was sitting at the end of our row) who directed True West (written by Sam Shepard), for the Sydney Theatre Company. It was a fabulous play, very funny, great performances and great staging. Plus, walking under the bridge at night past Luna Park and the Opera House was pretty cool too.



On Saturday we headed to Paddington to Mathilda's Market. It was a lovely day and so nice to meet so many online friend in person. I didn't take any pictures, but the lovely Bron from Babyspace snapped this one - which I really like. It was also very cool to see some Hobart mateys there as well. The lovely Ange from Kidstylefile and Haidee and Mel were up with Miss Haidee.



All in all it was the perfect holiday, fun, food and not one but 2 new pairs of jeans that fit and look good! For that alone it was worth it!
The boys also had a holiday at Grandma's where they had there own little Halloween party... check out the cool pumpkin they (read, their aunt) carved for them...

Little Snoring: Appley Pillow

I am having a day off work today which is going to be blissful. The mist is low and although the air is not too cold it is going to be a lovely day for printing, stitching and hopefully getting a little more organised! I need storage and a big rubbish bin that I should really be using first, but I think I will skip the tidying and head straight for the fun stuff.

Here is a picture of a new pillow design... I have more on the drawing board so will post when I have them done.

I will be heading to Sydney for Mathilda's Market on October 30 at Paddington Town Hall. I am a little bit underprepared, but hoping it will all come together in the end and really looking for a few days holiday in the Emerald City.

The Peg Dolls do Mad Men...

This is a little sneak peek at a project I have been working on, will tell you more when I can but let's just say the Little Snoring Laydeez have been channeling the charming women from Mad Men.



And of course, the dapper Don Draper hasn't missed out either...

Mungermen stocks Little Snoring range...

Hello folks, just stopping in to tell you my exciting news - the entire Little Snoring range is now available in a lovely store in Salamanca!

My work is in with the lovely Alison and Sam from Mungermen, 77 Salamanca Place. We are 2 doors down from the Fairy Shop, and across the way from the lovely Rebecca Roth and Cube Art & Design.

It has been a lot of fun getting things organised and would love it if you are in the area to drop by and say hello. It is fun to have a bricks and mortar space to fill with colour and lots of cute prints. I have some new cushions, gumballs, journals and jewellery.

Little Snoring has a new stockist in Melbourne - the gorgeous Tiger & Peacock in North Fitzroy

Hello Melbourne Peeps,

Little Snoring's Pillow Flag Regalia are now stocked in the gorgeous North Fitzroy store, Tiger & Peacock.

Design Files ran an article featuring Tiger & Peacock back in March focussing on Aimee McCallum, who runs the store with her partner Mark Azzopardi.

Aimee is the very talented visual merchandiser and interior designer responsible for some of the gorgeous windows displays at Husk, T2 Tea, Klein's Perfumery, Just Jeans, Metalicus and Safari Living.

Daily Addict also has a great article on the ever-changing Tiger & Peacock.
If you are in the mood to visit a visually stunning and delightfully unique interiors store then here are the details...
Tiger & Peacock
187 St Georges Road,
North Fitzroy,
Melbourne, 3068
T: 03 9489 8105

Pictures from Design Files

Bambini Directory features Little Snoring French Poodle & Union Jack Pillow

If any of you lovely folks have picked up the latest copy of the Studio Bambini Directory you might have noticed a couple of items on Little Snoring! I went to the newsagent yesterday and was totally thrilled to discover a wee little French Poodle of mine on page 27...



... and a picture of Sacha in his favourite dress-up Knight costume building kingdoms with his Union Jack Pillow on page 75!



I am also working on an order of pillows for a lovely store in Melbs, but will update you with the details later.

Busy as a proverbial B!

I have been patching a little lately. It is one lovely pastime, figuring what goes next, cutting, stitching, sighing, smiling. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't matter.

I popped into the new Craft Hive this morning to have a look and Kristan has done a lovely lovely job. If you haven't seen it yet, then head over there this week (it is right next to the Flower Room in Liverpool St). It is a lovely big space for craft workshops with plenty of room for sewing machines, felting, the whole shebang.

There will be lots of cool workshops and craft lessons going on including some very cool looking after-school groups for the kidlets. In fact, I have been lassoed into teaching a workshop on Log Cabin Pillows... here are 2 I prepared earlier!



Contact Kristan at the Craft Hive for more details, or stop in for a chat and a cuppa.

Amy Butler Wallpaper

Have you seen the new range of Amy Butler wallpaper? I have really liked her fabric designs and it is no surprise that her wallpaper looks just as fantastic.

Available from British design house Graham and Brown.

Journals, sketch books, scribblers, whatever...

Bless his little cottony socks, my first born boy and always willing helper, has outdone himself this time.

School Holidays couldn't have been better timed for this project. Give an 8 year old a pile of paper and a binding machine and he is sure to have fun. A couple of hours later and behold a stack of new journals, sketch books, scribblers, whatever...

This is my first post in Kootoyoo's Creative Space project, more here.

Salamanca Market this weekend...

Salamanca Market is a bit of an institution in this old town. It is a large outdoor market with fruit, flowers, veggies, artisan bread and food and lots of lovely handmade crafts. It also has its fair share of sellers of imported products at the cheaper end of things and second hand clothes and antiques. It is a real mixed bag.

This week it will have a little pocket of stuffed pandas, glassy birds and wooden peg dolls. I feel a bit nervous about it, because I am not very well prepared for outdoor markets and well it is a bit wintery these days.

So if you are in the area please drop in and keep me company for a moment or two for a wee chat. I will be at the very end near the Silos on the green side of the street (closest to the water). Any tips from those more experienced most welcome!

Image Credit

Punk and Green - Union Jack in Pink

In the shop now.

Art for Small Hands

School Holidays are here! I have been looking forward to them as much as the kids, but after day 1, I did have a moment of when I thought, aaaarrgh what am I going to do with 3 boys inside on these rainy June days!!!

Thankfully there are tonnes of resources out there from lovely, sharing individuals and here is one... Art for Small Hands. A fantastic blog by Julie, who has been teaching art to children for over 25 years in Montessori Schools. She has so kindly shared lots of great projects with instructions and ideas. Thank you Julie, you have saved me.

Hopefully we can spend some time making and creating as well as Lego, blowing bubbles, playing with the kitty and watching some DVD's.

Found via Crafty Crow post on KidStyleFile

WARNING: Proud Mother Post!

Ok, so apologies already if don't want to read this, but, how cute is that boy of mine! Yeah, just casually chatting to the press like he does it everyday!
Chewing the fat about
1. his artistic process - "I drew people shaking hands under a rainbow, and, it was hard to draw, and, with crayons", and
2. the trials and tribulations of Grade 1 life - "yeah, three of my friends moved to Waimea, well, first it was Ross and then Keon and then Ella Ward, but my brother Luka goes there so I kinda now what it is going to be like"

Anyhoo, you get the picture... and well this is the picture. His prize winning entry (1 of 12 winner from over 650 entries) in the Australian Education Union, T-shirt design contest to celebrate public education.

The design was to centre around a word that described how they felt about their school. Not 100% sure why they selected his picture, but very proud that they did. Sandwiches and OJ at Parliament House was also a highlight for the little one, and watching himself on telly later that night!

What's for Dinner? - Family Food Inspiration

Kitchen inspiration is a struggle for me most of the time. I enjoy eating and I enjoy cooking, its just that I often am so busy doing other things I enjoy that the question of What's for Dinner? is often asked too late. This list of dinner inspiration comes from all the lovely readers who left comments on my Mother's Day Giveaway post. Here is a list of their family favourite dinners...

Favourites - these came up a few time...
Chicken Wraps
Spaghetti Bolognaisey!
Vegetable/Minestrone Soup
Roast Lamb
Homemade Pizza - Easy Crust Recipe
Taco or Burritos
Hamburgers

More Delicious inspiration:

Baked Ziti. Really just spaghetti with moz cheese on top and baked
'Breakfast for dinner'(featuring pancakes, waffles, bacon & eggs, fruit platters, etc) and 'Favourite Childhood Foods' (featuring bowls of mashed potato, crumbed cutlets, macaroni and cheese, ice cream sundaes for dessert, creaming soda for drinks, etc).
Egg and Bacon pie
Veggie Lasagna
Mock Chow Mein (straight from the Nursing Mothers Association Cookbook)
Pasties with peas and rice (with soy sauce)
Stir frys and pasta
Chicken and Bean Enchiladas
Baked eggs and a couple of slices of sourdough toast (add mushrooms, onion, bacon, sausage or whatever takes your fancy)
'Praties'... baked potatoes with lots of butter and cheese topped with mushrooms, bacon and onions and a splat of sour cream
Spicy Spaghetti with Fennel
Apricot Chicken Casserole
Sweet and Sour Noodles with Meatballs. I make it with turkey and pineapple juice. Sounds weird, but it's sooooo good.
Taco's Chipotle style... sounds silly but we make rice and beans ground turkey, and all the veggie fixin's lettuce, tomatoes, and onions black olives, salsa and sometimes Guacamole...
Porcupines (little meatballs with rice) covered in tomato soup sauce with mashed potato and veges.
Cottage Pie
Temakizushi - which is roll your own sushi... they love the combination of seaweed, rice and a choice of toppings!
Pea and Ham Soup
'Toad in the hole' which is sausages baked in Yorkshire pudding. Served with mashed potatoes, vegetables and gravy!
Tuna Mournay
Humble Roast Chicken - Saint Jamie does it best
Curry Chicken with lentils and brown rice
Zucchini soup
Rice and Veggie rolls. Cooked rice, chopped veg, eggs, cheese and any spices you like wrap in puff pastry and cook
Fried egg on steamed jasmine rice with soy sauce and cucumber and carrot sticks on the side. Always a favourite!
Creamy Chicken Casserole
Tuna Casserole
Roast Veggie Risotto, I just put a big pan of diced veggies in the oven and let them cook away (cherry tomatoes, sweet potato, asparagus) while that is cooking, I get the risotto rice on with onion, garlic and celery. A bit of Parmesan and voila- great with a bit of crust bread

Humpty Dumpty Foundation

Little Snoring is supporting Leah's hike up Mt Kosciusko to raise money for the Humpty Dumpty Foundation. The Humpty Dumpty Foundation supports Paediatric services and Newborn Care Centres in over 60 Children's hospital and services in Australia and 2 in East Timor.

We have donated some goodies for her fund raising auction. If you would like to support Leah and the Humpty Dumpty Foundation please click here.

'I Made This' - New Designers Promo Opportunity

Some very exciting news!

Are a crafter or designer/maker that makes things for little ones?
Kidstylefile is a wonderful website that features boutique and unique products for kids. They also get thousands of hits per week by Mumma's looking for lovely things for their little ones (and, also a big industry resource for retailers looking for new products...).

I am very excited by a new initiative recently announced by Angela that provides an opportunity for you to have your work featured on Kidstylefile.com.au. It aims to feature designers who are just starting out.

Head to the website for all the details.

I ♡ Clutter

I really love this style of decorating and this unique apartment is a great example of how love and clutter can be so homely and comforting.

It is the home of Michael Quinn and he says his dual principle are ‘put like with like’ and ‘how high can i reach with a hammer.’ A man after my own heart!!!

This is what he says about his home....



"By and large this apartment has become something of a refugee camp for Things That No One Else Wants. I am one of those people who thinks if you love something, you can find a way to incorporate it into the mix; if something speaks to me, there is always room in my inn."



Read more and see more pix at Design Sponge..

And the winners are...

A huge thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway, the winners are Wooden Bead Necklace - Jen Stocks, Peace Dove Necklace - Julie, Red Nesting Bird with Ladybird - Ange Moore or a Peggy People Kit - Narelle.

I am planning to collate everyone's favourite meals into one post, so I can check it every other day for inspiration!

I do have a new favourite cookbook that is currently providing a lot of good ideas and lovely bedtime reading. It is written by Lucinda Scala Quinn who is Food Director at Martha Stewart, the mother of 3 boys and the sister of 3 brothers. So she is quite well qualified to write 'Mad Hungry Feeding Men and Boys - Recipes, strategies and survival techniques'.

I haven't actually tried any of the recipes yet, but I do love her tips on organising meals over the week and food that is nourishing and will fill them up. My copy got a bit delayed with volcanic ash, but I recommend buying from Book Depository if you are interested it is $AUD25 and postage is free.

Hello Peeps

Sorry I have been a bit vacant here of late. I was at the lovely Market yesterday and had a wonderful time. Thank you to all the folks who adopted a Panda or Poodle, hope they are feeling at home now.

Thank you to all the lovely comments on the Giveaway post, I will be drawing the prizes tomorrow and will post some of the suggestions for those nights when your brain cells are on holiday and you need some inspiration for dinner.

The Market Blog is profiling Little Snoring

Head here if you want to read a profile Holly and Shannon from The Market did on Little Snoring. I will be a the next Market on May 2, and have a lot of work to do before now and then!

In the meantime I am super-excited to have a lovely list of delicious dinner ideas coming from all the comments on the giveaway, please add your favourite too. I will collate them all into one post when its done so there will be a fabulous list for when my brain is mush and the kids are hungry.

Little Snoring Mother's Day Giveaway

Mother's Day is coming around again, so I thought I would have a little giveaway to honour all the Mother's. As I travel through life and get a little older, I get a deeper understanding of all the work women do in our society and how important the role they play in our community.

We all have mothers. Some may have passed and some maybe getting older, hopefully you have some great memories of your Mum.

In their honour, I would like to shop giveaway - I will randomly select 4 winners that will receive either a Wooden Bead Necklace, Peace Dove Necklace, Red Nesting Bird with Ladybird or a Peggy People Kit.

In all the complexity of life and living there are some basic things that never change. One thing that consumes me everyday is feeding my kids. And this is where I am hoping you might be able to help?

Just leave a comment to enter and tell me your favourite family meal. It might be one your Mum cooked, it could be quick and easy meal, a special dinner cooked when you have time. If you are a fan on Facebook, or become one, let me know in the comments I will triple your chances of winning.

In Short:
Leave a comment with your Favourite Family Meal.
Be a fan on Facebook for more chances to win.
Check out the Shop for more lovely things.

I will draw the winners on Sunday May 2nd.

Little Snoring Shop gets a refresher!

I have been having a wee little break from a lot of things of late, and this blog although in my thoughts has been getting a bit dusty. I promise I am coming back to share some more things soon.
But for today I have been sprucing up the shop and restocking and adding some new things. If you want to please make your way over there now... littlesnoring.bigcartel.com I will catch up with you next time.

Happy Easter Everyone - 15% Discount Offer in Little Snoring Store

Happy Easter Everyone. Hope you are having a big old hoppy time.
This month I am sponsoring Mel Goodsell's lovely blog and I am offering her readers a lovely 15% discount on everything in the Little Snoring Store.

It only seems fair that you guys can have the discount too! Enter 'Gumballs' at the checkout for 15% off. Offer ends April 15 or until stocks last!

Mathilda's Market Hobart: Little Snoring Stand

Here are some pictures from my stall at Hobart's first Mathilda's Market. It was a lovely venue and loads of lovely folks, and quite a number of pregnant bellies and smiley children.

I didn't really get a chance to have a proper look at everyone stalls, but the colour and light in the place was enchanting. The lovely Anne from Mathilda's took lots of pictures so I will be checking in at their blog for the round up!






ps. I will also be doing a shop update this week so I will let you know when I have finished.

Little Snoring celebrates the launch of Mathilda's Market in Hobart

Mathilda's Market is on in Hobart this Saturday. I have to say I have been a bit excited about this market for quite a while. They have been running on the mainland for the last year and have developed quite a big following. They hand pick the stall holders to ensure the products for sale and high quality, handmade or from small production runs.

The venue for the Hobart event is the Hobart Function Centre on Elizabeth St Pier which has a great room at the end looking out over the water. They will be having a cafe at this end, so it will be perfect for a little Saturday morning catch up with friends or coffee with the kids.

I will be sandwiched between the gorgeous mirrors of Allypops and the explosion of tulle that I expect will arrive with Princess Ratbag. I hoping it will be a lot of fun and with stall holders flying in to be there, I expect my purse might get a little workout as well.

It is only on from 9am - 1pm so I expect it might be worth getting in early to get the best picks. Please say hello if you pass the Little Snoring stall.

ps. I will be bringing along some new products, including the Gumball Headband and a really lovely, colourful necklaces for you and the girls

Boys love Gumballs too!

Somedays it would be handy to have a little girl around to photograph wearing some of my necklaces. As it happens I only have boys, 3 of them actually, and while I have been pondering designing something cool (and appropriate) for them to wear - it hasn't happened yet. The closest I have got is these colourful gumball necklaces, in fact it is sometimes hard to get them to hand them back, and well when they look this cute...



ps. you can now follow Little Snoring on Facebook, Click Here to become a fan.

Become a fan of Little Snoring on Facebook...

I started a page on Facebook for Little Snoring and would love to join us there if you are a Facebooker. Become a fan of by clicking here.

Cool Brittania: Little Snoring Union Jack Square Pillow

Cool Brittania*
Brittania you are cool (take a trip)
Britains ever ever ever shall be hip
(Hit me, hit me)

*First coined by my very favourite whacked-out band The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band in the first track from the album Jollity Farm.

Anyhoo this is my latest ode to my ancestral past... I love the Union Jack, it is such a strong graphical image and is a combo of the flag of St George (England) and the Flag of St Andrew (Scotland). I love it as a pillow so much I have made my own... available online at the Little Snoring Shop!

The Market

I have some more images taken on my phone (battery flat in camera, d'oh) which I will load up later. This one was taken by Holly - thanks Holly.

Anyhoo, it was a lovely day (albeit a bit humid) and I got to meet lots of lovely peeps and try out some new products. The Peggy People Kits were a lot of fun and have gone off to many new homes.

I also introduced some Union Jack Cushions that I have been printing over the last couple of weeks which has been a lot of fun. Shop upload due soon, hopefully today.

It is always lovely to catch up with some market friends and make some new ones, hello to Marita, Rosie, Cathy, Rebecca, Holly, Michelle and Jo, and Tara.

Little Snoring: Peg Doll Ladies from the village of Big Hair

Peg Dolls became popular toy in Victorian times, and I think their charm is still visible. They are also a lot of fun to dress up and play with and an easy craft for kids.

These lovely ladies look like they have just stepped out of the hairdressers! I only wish my hair would look so full and fabulous!

Anyhoo this ladies will be coming with me tomorrow to The Market. I have made up some Peggy Peeps People Kits (fun for the whole family?) ... will be trying them out at the next few markets.

Please note: The making of Peg Dolls is addictive... I have growing collection now... a few more than is really necessary for a woman of my age.

Little Snoring Glass Bird Necklaces featured in latest edition of Small Magazine

What a nice feeling to find your work out there all over the place!
Small Magazine has been a big time favourite of mine for a long while, so I was thrilled to discover my Glass Bird Necklaces are featured in the latest edition!

Small Something - Let's fall in love... check out the feature here.

Funny thing is that I have been so busy lately that I hadn't had a chance to sit down and read it, so it was a double thrill that they were spotted by Little Jenny Wren, who let me know. Thanks.

I am in Sydney for the weekend to visit the Kids in Style Trade Show. It is such a lot of fun to check out all the new products by such lovely and talented designers and manufacturers. I am taking some pictures so check out the coverage at KidStyleFile for all the latest and greatest.

Tasmanian Designer cushion in Sibella Court's home featured on Design Sponge!

Ok, so the blog title kinda tells the story, but I wanted to poke you in the direction of this great feature on Design Sponge. It is on the extremely well styled, well loved home and shop of uber-stylish stylist Sibella Court.

Also loved by Sibella is this lovely cushion (in picture) made by Tasmanian Designer Tara Badcock! Yeah!

Little Snoring will be at the 1st Mathilda's Market in Hobart in March 2010

In case you haven't heard, Mathilda's Market is coming to Hobart.

Mathilda's Markets have been celebrating beautiful handcrafted and limited edition baby and kids items all over the mainland, so it is going to be fun to be part of the first Market in Hobart. The quality and originality of Tasmanian handmade will be shining out from the Elizabeth St Pier on March 27th, 9 - 1, so be sure to save the date.

Mathilda's Market has already been extolling the uniqueness of Tasmanian craft on their blog. I was pretty happy to be featured alongside the very creative and lovely Rosie from Notions and the super clever letterpress queen, Narelle from Ruby Victoria.

PS. If you have been wondering where I have been... I am a Twitter-addict! If you are easily distracted then I wouldn't recommend, but if you are able to balance even a little work/life/twit then it is a lot of fun!
I am here.. @littlesnoring pls tweet me.

PPS. Mathilda's Market is official partners with KidStyleFile.com.au and Handmade Kids

Vale Lee McQueen

The fragility of beauty is sometimes heartbreaking.



Alexander McQueen was an amazing talent.



RIP.




There more images and lovely tribute at bleubird.