date night..

rake leaves into piles and jump into them..

wordless wednesday...

the magical beanbag

joining in wordless wednesday over at faith hope & a whole lotta love again this week..

happy monday..

Happy Happy 101...

the lovely Stephanie has tagged me with the Happy 101 meme.. haven't done one of these for ages.. would have loved to have kept some of my answers from back in high-school or uni days.. 

Okay, rules are... name ten things I like.. hmmm only 10??

Here goes, in no particular order: 

one my children.. 

listening to their laughter.. watching them play together.. watching them hold hands while in the back of the car.. their cuddles (even at midnight, 2am, 3am, 4am etc..) listening to them say their first attempts at words.. just everything about them really.. and now being fed yoghurt by my daughter :o)

two cold frosty mornings.. 

this includes everything from driving in fog.. frost on my car so that i have to scape it off the windows before driving.. crispy white trees.. frost on spiderwebs.. the smell of it all.. just love it!!

three creating.. 

sewing.. design.. craft.. building things.. really just anything where i start with raw materials and turn them into something else..

four photography.. 

just the concept of capturing a moment in time and being able to look back on it later.. 

five my husband.. 

he just makes me happy.. he supports me in everything i do.. he is my strength when i am running low.. he is my rock.. he is the true raw meaning behind love.. no frills.. just love.. 

six the colour red.. 

i like simplicity and neutral colours in general.. i don't like trends or fashion.. red just adds highlights to my otherwise simple world.. it makes me smile.. 

seven my friends.. 

they listen.. they are there when i need them.. they make me smile..

eight coffee.. 

life just wouldn't be the same without a hot cup of good quality coffee.. 

nine silence..

i do love my kids.. but i also like silence.. i like sitting and having complete silence around me.. 

ten lists.. 

i love writing what's in my mind.. i like having a plan.. i like adding things and crossing things off.. i like moving forward.. 

few people that would be fun to know a bit more about.. 

missy melly

lil blue boo

inkspot workshop

brown button

fat mum slim

 

my little stores are slowly getting filled..

where has kasiabear been? being a busy mum loving life and not getting to her computer as often as before to put it simply.. but busy creating.. so just to get up to date.. here are some of the little treasures i've been working on..

available at either my etsy or madeit stores.. 

if you like something here.. but would like it in a different size or fabric combination.. email me at  kasiabearkids@optusnet.com.au to discuss a custom order.. 

tee's

skirts

date night..

buy face paint and give each other makeovers..

beautiful quotes...

Hot Cute Myspace Quotes

wordless wednesday...

running a bit late.. but its still wednesday in the states so its all good :o)

just because its thursday..

Busy busy busy is our household at the moment.. but then again who's household isn't when there are kids around right? right! Well our household has taken on a bit of a change in perspective.. we have made a conscious decision to get out more.. to do more and really love life..

I received this little email a couple days after we made that decision and it really fit..

'A house becomes a home when you can write 'I love you' on the furniture'

I used to spend at least 8 hours every weekend making sure things were just perfect.. 'in case someone came over'. Finally I realized one day that no-one came over; they were all out living life and having fun! NOW, when people visit, I don't have to explain the 'condition' of my home. They are more interested in hearing about the things I've been doing while I was away living life and having fun.

If you haven't figured this out yet, please heed this advice.

Life is short. Enjoy it!

Dust if you must... but wouldn't it be better to paint a picture or write a letter, bake cookies or a cake   and  lick the spoon or plant a seed, ponder the difference between want and need?

Dust if you must, but  there's not much time.. with chocolate to eat, rivers to swim and mountains to climb, music to hear and books to read, friends to cherish and life to lead.

Dust if you must… but the world's out there with the sun in your eyes, the wind in your hair, a  flutter of snow, a shower of rain. This day will not come around, again.

Dust if you must… but bear in mind, old age will come and it's not kind.. And when you go - and go you must - you, yourself will make more dust!

It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived.

I've gathered information about local activities for kids, and where possible 'free' activities and week by week we are checking them out to see which ones we like the best.

We make a weekly trip to the library so the kids can pick out the books they want and I get to get a few for myself too..

We go to get-together's we may have missed otherwise..

We play outside when its cold.. when the grass is wet and when the length of grass resembles a paddock..

We run around the house laughing, yelling and screaming.. only rule is that we run in the same direction..

We are making play dates with friends we haven't seen for ages...

We have one junk food evening and one other treat day during the week and then its all about bananas.. you want a treat.. here's a banana..

If things need to be done.. we do them with the kids instead of waiting till they go to bed..

And nicest of all.. they are so tired by the end of the day that they are in bed asleep at a reasonable hour and me and the big one get some time together as adults...

My kids are great.. and I mean really really fantastic!! And its so so wonderful to see how they enjoy different experiences and interact with different people in different situations...

Love you my little pumpkins!!

beautiful quotes...

"Children require guidance and sympathy far more than instruction"                                                 - Anne Sullivan

tee painting with toddlers..

Last Monday I had the pleasure of making t-shirts with my daughters friends at day care.. I bought along a selection of my screen printing paint which the kids used.. I then took the tee's home and heat set them to make the paint permanent.. 

Today the kids had a class photo wearing their tee's so I can now reveal to the world their amazing work.. it was such a fun day and the tee’s look absolutely stunning. Each one is a unique piece of wearable art...

Thank you guys for this opportunity and I hope you all love your little creations and enjoy wearing them. They are all truly fantastic and you are all little artists!!!

Here are some pics from the day..

beautiful quotes...

never 

miss an opportunity 

to make others happy.. 

even if you have to 

leave them alone 

in order to do so...

mothers day...

a trip to the museum on sat and a day at home being a mum on sunday.. and best of all.. i got my first pasta art..

happy trails... first training..

Feeling a bit sore and sorry for myself at the moment.. well not so sore now, but Saturday and Sunday were hell.. truly and utterly hell!! My hips felt like they were going to crumble any second and all my muscles in my legs, some I never knew existed, were screaming at me each time I moved. My little guy is sick again so has been up close enough to all night last couple of nights which didn't help, but a couple of short walks on Sat and Sun have done a world of good.

The walk was hard, really hard! 16km in complete darkness, walking in constant rain on tracks through the Adelaide Hills I've never walked on before with absolutely no training leading up to it.

There were about 20 odd people that showed up for the training, most of which have either walked the trailblazer before or were in tip top shape so I was soon left at the end with my walking partner and the sweeper... We were told before we started, that the time to beat was 2 hrs and 25 minutes and that the average time was 3 hours. It was when Phil said the words 3 hours that I started to panic a little.. I automatically thought I'd be there for 4 and a half hours or so..

I trudged and trudged, my head torch ran out of batteries and the spares didn't work, so I walked 2/3 of the walk with a little hand torch. My hips were absolutely killing an hour into the walk, but what were my options.. hmmm.. turn back and still walk another hour to the start... ummm.. no, not an option.. so I just walked, and walked, and walked..

We walked past the Bridgewater Mill at one point and this was my little pick-me-up.. the Bridgewater Pub looked absolutely divine in the dark, surrounded by mist and slight fog. It looked like something out of an English or Irish postcard. Then the big wheel of the mill was just stunning. When-else would I have the opportunity to see these beautiful landscapes at that time of night? If I was out having a meal in the Pub, I would have never walked out in the rain, crossed the creek, walked up a steep slippery embankment just to have a look at what the pub looked like from the other side. So this visual in itself kept me going and trudging along through the swampy paddocks.. who cared really, I was going to have a warm shower when I got home.

As we headed into the 2 hour 45 minute mark, the leader 'little Phil' came back to make sure we were alright and informed us that its not far now. He had a chat to me as we walked the last little bit and was a little shocked that I made it this far without training.. I did ask him whether anyone had ever been kicked off for walking too slowly, and he assured me that I was doing fine. As I crossed the finishing point he announced my time of 3 hours and 5 minutes. I was stoked to say the least. I felt so utterly overjoyed to be 'average' at this point in time that I cannot put into words.

I could ramble for hours, but I guess overall I'm happy that I made it, I'm happy that I pushed myself, I'm happy I didn't give up and I'm happy that I am absolutely insane and jump into these things without thinking them through.. I mean seriously...

happy trails...

OK.. here I go.. this is the year..

Two years ago a friend of mine asked me if I would be interested in doing the Trailblazer Challenge with her.. I was so incredibly enthusiastic and said 'yes' straight away. I went out and got new walking shoes, started walking with Ella in the pram and was so set to walk 50km...

Then as my family does.. it threw not one, but a few curve balls.. My grandma who lived in Poland passed away and I was determined to see my grandpa while I had the chance. I took off on an adventure to Europe with just my little 18 month old girl (at that stage). That was a challenge in itself, but I ticked off a few things I needed to do which was fantastic.

We had started trying for another bub just before all this happened and taaadaaa.. I realised I was pregnant while overseas.. Ella was really sick while we were over there too, so by the time I came back, the walk was just not going to happen for me... all our family lived overseas in one country or another at that stage and being pregnant with no support there was just no way I could pull it off..

I rang my friend when I returned and told her that I can't do it this time around, but to please remember me in the future.. so this year she did, and again I said 'yes'.. so here I am about to embark on an adventure like no other adventure I have ever taken on before... the back 50 of the trailblazer challenge..

If you know me personally, you'll know that I'm seriously not the fittest person in the world. I don't even exercise regularly.. or at all really. My family always comes first and I always come last, meaning there rarely is any time left for such extravagance as exercise. I'm not adverse to the idea, it just doesn't fit it.. so this really is going to be a challenge for me.

I am doing the first training walk tonight.. yes.. walking in the bush at night, in the dark.. So wish me luck.. think of me while you are sitting in front of the heater, even if its just to amuse yourself :o)

Will let you know how sore I feel soon..

friday night.. date night..

Inspired by my friend who has 3 kids and somehow manages to sneak in dinner, a dvd and dessert on a Friday night with her hubby when the kids go to bed..

Hmm.. I really think I should pull my finger out and plan some fun friday night.. date nights..

So seeing me and TV do not work together as I fall asleep within 10 minutes of sitting on the couch, I need to be a bit more creative.. so here goes.. I even bought a little book on fun date ideas..

spend an evening 

looking through your date's photo albums 

and high school year books.. 

my little pocket denim skirt..

I so loved making this little skirt.. I printed the fabric a couple of months ago, I made the pocket a couple of weeks ago and I finally got to put it all together the other day.. look out for a few more coming in this style.. I love it!!

so simple, so sweet and just classic..

kasiabear in handmade living..

Well, its been a bit of a crazy week in our household.. me planning my first ever trip away since becoming a mum.. my little guy being sick again.. and putting together my submission for handmade living..

And now that its all finalised.. I'd like to share my excitement.. I am so, so, so honoured to be a part of this creation and to work alongside other amazing designers and makers... You'll have to wait to see kasiabear's little creations till the book is released.. but if nothing else, writing this submission and thinking outside the box as a designer again has put a few more things in perspective for me.. so keep a look out for new and amazing things to come.. here on this blog, at kasiabear.. a little bit of me, my etsy shop and my made it shop..

handmade living. is.. 

a beautiful new creation that combines the inspiration and talents of handmade designers living in Canberra and also interstate. 

Its pages will be lush with stunning creations to share and inspire. 

A hardcover, beautifully photographed and illustrated tome. 

Providing how-tos, information and breathtaking inspiration, 

a publication for lovers of style, beauty and stunning creations, handmade with care. 

Handmade bliss

a little cushion for my boy..

yes yes.. i love denim.. and i can't part with it.. this is a little cushion i made for zaccy zac from some old jeans for his change table.. he's getting a little big for it.. but we still most certainly need it so to avoid him knocking his head on the wooden end i made this..

his room theme is planes (predominantly because i love planes and hope to be a pilot when i grow up) and colour scheme is red, navy, white and khaki.. and these are the little planes i got for him for his 1st birthday.. they still need to be hung from the ceiling when i get around to it.. but for the moment are on top of his bookshelf..

these are little tin replicas.. love love love them!!

kasiabear kids update..

the mod cord skirt is now available in my shops and so are library bags.. pop past and have a peek.. there are 12 cord colours to choose from.. so possibilities are many.. i'm sure there is a mathematical way of working that out.. anyway.. here are my ideas and most probably my next little projects..

drawstring bags..

This would have to be one of my favourite fabrics and I was lucky enough to make a little library bag for one of Ella's favourite friends...

These drawstring bags can be made in many different fabric combinations and sizes and are available through my made it store.. message me or email me if you would like kasiabear to make you one and I will email you available fabrics.. there are plenty of boys and girls ones to choose from.

little mod cord skirt..

What a week its been in our household.. I've only just finally got to upload the little Mod Cord skirt onto madeit and etsy.. so a very belated drum roll please... for the colour options that is..

and if you don't like my options.. go your hardest on these colours and choose your own colourway..

and then you come up with the end result in your choice of colours looking like this..

the Lelly Lou skirt in bold house graphics..

We had a beautiful weekend with my little munchkins and even managed to soak up some sun in the Adelaide Botanical Gardens.. Sooo beautiful at this time of the year.. Ella aka Lelly Lou wore the Lelly Lou skirt and it was lovely to receive so many comments from passers by..

Here are a few of my favourite pics of the day..