Everyone Needs Playtime

In our hectic, modern lives, many of us focus so heavily on work and family commitments that we never seem to have time for pure fun. Somewhere between childhood and adulthood, we stopped playing.

When we carve out some leisure time, we’re more likely to zone out in front of the TV or computer than engage in fun, rejuvenating play like we did as children. But play is not just essential for kids; it can be an important source of relaxation and stimulation for adults as well.

There doesn’t need to be any point to the activity beyond having fun and enjoying yourself. By giving yourself permission to play with the joyful abandon of childhood, you can reap oodles of health benefits throughout life.

Featured post

Challenge Meme

Seven years ago I issued a challenge to celebrate 20 years of the modern BJD, that I had also done three years previously. As things have be...

Wednesday

Lazy Days and Daffodils

I have been feeling like I needed some R&R this week, so today hubby and I decided to take a drive through Gippsland to one of our favourite towns . . .  Yarragon. It has some lovely shops, amongst my favourites are Candleberry Country where you'll find a  vast array of pretty fabrics to tempt even the most discerning sewer and Carousel Cottage a lovely shop full of decorative items for the home. Needless to say, I made a small purchase from both of them. :)

We then lunched at Gippsland Food and Wine, where my sweet little Pippin (LF Pipi Girl ~ Tan Skin) became very curious about everything.



After lunch we drove down roads we hadn't travelled before and came across the Blyth Brothers farm . . . and what a spectacular sight to behold it was!


Row upon row of magnificent yellow daffodils and fragrant jonquils. It reminded me of William Wordsworth's poem "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud".

 I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

Little did we realise that this beautiful farm in Ellinbank is Australia's largest daffodil growing business, family run and dating back three generations to 1947.

New Wigs


Monday I received my latest order of wigs from For My Doll. I couldn't quite remember which I ordered for who at first, but it finally all fell into place.

Four of them were for PukiFees. The pink updo was for Macaron, the yellow pigtails for Cookie, and the other two for the PukiFee faceplates I have yet to find bodies for. One 8/9 Carrot wig ready for Verity Delamore-Larkin (April Story Ishyllia) my #2 steampunk sister on order and a 6/7 Pink for Atargatis (Impldoll Baby Gela), my mermaid, who I am currently making a tail for.


Today, I gave Macaron (PF Dony), Cookie (PF Bonnie) and Biscotti (PF Cony) a sort of makeover. Firstly, I swapped Macaron and Biscotti's eyes over giving Macaron the blue and Biscotti the green. Next, I added kips to both their necks as they were nodding quite uncontrollably and then I trimmed and styled the two new wigs. Finally I brushed Biscotti's hair and added a hairclip to keep her hair in check.

I also finally received the boots that should have arrived 15 days ago. Makes you wonder about these postal services and whether they travelled via Austria to get here!


Sunday

Weekly Update

This morning hubby and I attended a planting at the park across the road from where we live. It's not something either of us have done before, but it's a lovely park which we use daily to walk Coco, so we thought we would do our part. Though we didn't really have a great deal to do, because our local Council gardeners had already dug the holes for us to plant the grasses and groundcover, so we were home for lunch. However, it was nice to see so many of the multi cultural mix of people from our neighbourhood attending the planting and to watch the children enjoy themselves.
 
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Just lately I've been thinking about all the fabric and threads I have just sitting here doing nothing. There are so many, I will never use them in my life time. So for the past few days I  have been busy making a new Etsy Store to sell them on to people who can put them to good use.
 
https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/MySewingQuarters
 
All the fabrics are like new, many of them have very cute designs on them, but are too large for what I'm currently working on. Others are fabrics not suitable for the dolls clothes I make.
 
The threads have never been used and are still in the boxes they came in, though people may purchase them by the reel. Gutermann threads are made in Germany and are really strong, so they are perfect for crafty people, especially those making teddy bears or felt softies.
 
I am offering a Grand Opening discount of 10% for purchases over $10. Just type this code "OPENING2015" in at the checkout to receive it.
 
Please stop by and add me to your favourites, so you can keep up with the new items I will be adding over the coming weeks, you may just find something you really like.
 
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On the doll and sewing front, it's been a little quiet mainly because I have been waiting on boots to arrive from MoriTime. Unfortunately, it looks like they are lost. She has promised to send them again this coming week and will make a claim for reimbursement from Hong Kong Post. However, it's put me way behind on sewing my steampunk outfits as I need to know how far up the leg the boots are going to sit before I can complete drafting my pattern!
 
Well that's about it my lovelies, I will be back posting dolly stuff shortly. :)