'I Love It!'

Harry tried something new for breakfast this morning. Crumpets! After trying his first honey covered one he quickly exclaimed 'I love it!' and requested another. 

After a bad time with eating last week thanks to some 2 year molars poking through, I was so happy his appetite had returned! I'll have to remember these for special mornings in the future.

Sleeping Beauty

Someone is refusing to nap in his cot anymore, but crashing out on the couch instead. Can't blame him.. it's my favourite place to nap too!

Busy Bee

Found some lovely new titles at my favourite op shops yesterday. It had been a little while since I had managed to visit them and a little treasure trove awaited me!

I have been busily trying to get some chalkboards made this morning but I keep getting interrupted by my favourite little person and being whisked away into what ever new game he's up to.

Harry's Daddy is working on a new project for our back verandah. Planter boxes so we can be ready to sow some vegetables in the Spring. The two of them have been spending a lot of time in the carport sawing wood and hammering things together. A lot of today's play has involved sawing things. It's very noisy but oh so cute to watch as he re-enacts what his father was doing yesterday :)

Here are the small sized chalkboards I have created today, all ready for the next market in just over a week!

If something catches your eye for someone special, send me a message!

kelly@harryssuitcase.com

I can either keep it aside for you at the market or pop it in the post :) The added fun of having it mailed is that your recipient will get to open a good old fashioned brown paper package that's tied up with string!

Stay tuned for pictures of the large ones early next week!

Bigger Snow Day!

Well, wasn't last week a tease! The real deal was this weekend just gone.. We woke to a world of white. We snowboarded, we sledded, we made a snowman and we had snowball fights. It was amazing!!

Harry kept kissing the snowman until his nose fell off. It had to be re-attached quit a few times. Such a sweetheart!

 Who knows if we will ever see this amount of snow in our backyard again! But boy did we enjoy it while it lasted!!

The Boys.

I'm sure over the course of writing this blog I may refer to 'the boys' every now and then. Harry's boys. Thought an introduction might be needed so you know who all the members of the gang are. These guys hang out in the bed at night and on rainy days, after nap time, they tend to take up most of the lounge!
Today has been one of those days. We had more snow flurries and it's been a 'snuggle up on the couch watching Peppa Pig' kind of afternoon...

Introducing.. The Boys.

 From left to right.

Woofy - who was actually my dog when I was younger.. not sure how young I was.. maybe 5 when I got him. He's Harry's number one. Not doing too bad for an old boy :) Some would say he's vintage!
Daddy Pig - 2nd Birthday gift to Harry from myself and Harry's Daddy
Bear - another from my toy collection
Bullseye - Santa gift from Harry's first Christmas
Paddy Bear - also a 2nd birthday gift.. Harry was very taken with the movie and around the time of his birthday it was the number one request for TV time
KC - KC again is from my childhood and if I remember correctly, one of the first purchases I ever made with my own pocket money. I named him KC after a gorilla in a movie that could do sign language that I had watched the day before...

So there you have it! A small group of lovely faces that bring comfort and companionship :) and some for a couple of generations.. I wonder if any of these fellows will be passed on again in the future! 

Winter Walks.

 We've been living in our Mountains home for just over 6 months and have discovered so many wonderful walks, views and special places. Here we are on a little winter walk not far from our house. And a little example of Harry's camera smile :)

The last time we were here we spotted a flock of Glossy Black Cockatoos. A new addition to Harry's life list.

Snow Day

We woke up to a little blanket of snow for the first time this morning. Harry's first flakes. It melted not long after breakfast but flurries have continued all day and nice big flakes are still falling as I type.

Night is approaching and the temperature is dropping. I can see a long line of cars slowly trying to leave our sleepy village. Haven't seen so many people since we moved here! The snow has brought many to our mountains home today and it has been a wonderful experience to share! So much joy in the small conversations we have shared with strangers.

A glass of wine in hand now, a roaring fire, a snoring dog at my feet and my boys having a dance to some jazz on the turntable. The backyard is filled with our kangaroos who I'd given many a thought to today, so I am very pleased to see the cold is not effecting them!

Feeling happy, lucky and very, very cosy.
Life does not get much better than this!

Where's Harry?

It has been cold outside and we have been snuggling up indoors, having fun and trying to ignore the sniffles and 2 year molars that are making a certain little fellow a bit out of sorts.

Yesterday we decided that it was a good day to practice our cubby making skills. We've made a couple of OK ones on the couch with the help of sheets and pegs. Our couch, unfortunately, does not have removable pillows so we don't have the added reinforcement that I remember when I made them as a child.
And sometimes when Daddy gets home from work we make fubbys (faux cubbys) that basically consists of a blanket being held up by Mummy and Daddy's heads! They are the most cosy!

Today we put the dining table and chairs to good use and...
Voila!

 

A tunnel of towel covered chairs to enter and exit from and an open frontage for Harry and the boys to view the evening TV line up (and to talk to mummy from).

When it came time to nap.. it was far too much fun in the cubby! I went looking for Harry.. wait a minute.. Where's Harry?

 

A New Community

Yesterday was my first appearance at Blackheath Community Markets, a local sustainable living market celebrating handmade, pre-loved and homegrown goods. I was so excited to be a part of a market that I will be able to attend once a month and I was hoping my little stall with its various re-purposed children's book products would be met with interest. And I was not disappointed!

I came close to selling through my small framed prints and my chalkboards have been reduced to a much much smaller pile! I sold a few butterflies and also some bunting! I have a lot of work to do now to get my stock levels up for next months market.

 

  I had a great position next to the door into the hall and the atmosphere was wonderful! The sounds of live music playing and the smell of a sausage sizzle and other edible delights wafting through the air, warm sun taking the edge off the chilliness of winter and the satisfaction of having people really like what I am creating made for such a great time!

When the boys found me at the end of the day I was tired but happy. We popped into the local for a bite to eat as a celebration of the success of 'Harry's Suitcase'. The lady behind the bar commented on what a busy day it had been in there for her and our conversation took us to discussing the markets. I let her know what it was I made. She asked, if it was not too much trouble, to see my chalkboards so I popped out to the car to get the last of my stock to show her.. and she bought one! An unexpected sale at the end of an already wonderful day!

To any customer who may be reading this blog..
Thank you so much, you have really encouraged me. I hope whoever ended up with something that has come out of Harry's Suitcase yesterday, absolutely loves it!

Favourites

I am going to post a photo of Harry once a week. I'm hoping to capture his latest interests. Things that makes his little heart sing. Harry loves parks and we visited a new one earlier this week. There was a pirate ship to play on and rocks to climb. But his favourite thing of all were the ducks on the lake. He kept running to the edge and calling for the ducks to 'come here'. Lots of delighted squeals. He loves birds. They have been a favourite for a long time! Looks like they are still trumping!

The amazing jumper he is wearing has been lovingly made for him by minipoppets.. 

Watching Shaun the Sheep is our bedtime treat!

Fear Not.

Today I got results from a scan saying that the tumour in my liver is nothing to be afraid about.

Today marks the anniversary of a fall that broke two bones in my husband’s back and cast a fear that has overshadowed me for 365 days..

Today I need to let some of my fear go.

Today is a good day to start fresh.

I have a gorgeous 2 year old boy who is inspiring me everyday. Inspiring me to do so many things! I’m making him toys, I’m seeing the world differently, I don’t even recognise myself in the kitchen anymore. I’m the girl who couldn’t successfully pull off microwave popcorn. Ever. And now there is a home cooked meal on the table most nights. I know that part of my inspiration is also my husband who encourages me in every endeavour I undertake.

Today I have decided to try and fight the worry and anxiety that has plagued me. I have my boys and I need to live each day in a much more positive light.

And so begins a new adventure.

Today I am opening Harry’s Suitcase and letting something wonderful out.