The Moments Between

© Melissa Gaggiano

It's good to be busy. Not crazy, stupid, oh my god, my screws are coming loose as steam escapes my head, busy. But 'bee' busy - gently flying from one flower to another. For me that means having a weekly list of goals, which I like to write on a Sunday. My list is small if the tasks are large. My list is big if there are lots of short jobs. It's about realistic management, isn't it?

The body can tire if we move from job to job with no breather between. I discovered this only too recently. One job wasn't balanced and my health was compromised. Mistakes were made, but on the plus side the experience made me see what my vulnerabilities are. As my body slowly reboots I now balance the work I do with other activities that involve eating, and exercising my neck muscles (it's all about mobility and strength baby).

The other thing about working is that the mind needs periods of rest. So when the tasks are ticked I have a go at letting my brain have down time. No easy thing! My body is happy to sit, but my brain is almost always storming and itching for me to do things. Can you picture a stove with multiple pots bubbling away together? That's what it is like inside my head.

The kids had a couple of days off from school and this presented me with an opportunity to let my brain off the hook. When constantly thinking about next week, next month, next year, being present can take some getting used to. But if you can switch off and focus on what is before you, be it a garden or a child, then it is time well spent.

© Melissa Gaggiano

Flowery Felt Craft Project

My Poppet tutorial
© Melissa Gaggiano

How exciting is this! My Poppet Makes presents a freshly minted tutorial by moi. If you're into felt craft and flowers then this lil' treasure of a project is the perfect activity for you. Add this to your list of wee wonderful to make this year.

© Melissa Gaggiano

© Melissa Gaggiano

My Poppet Makes

Twister

Melissa Gaggiano Photography

    On a complete and utter whim I made this mock Twister board game miniature for the girls doll house. They love it when I make little bits and pieces to add to their doll house, and this one was so simple in concept. As I was sewing the dots onto the white felt I realised how nice the pattern would look on a doll apron or skirt.

Winona ♡

© Melissa Gaggiano

    If you're into a little eighties nostalgia you will enjoy this piece on coming of age themed piece about Winona Ryder.

Sixties Love + Missing Sharpener

© Melissa Gaggiano

    There is a curse in this house. The same curse that afflicts every household I would imagine. There is always that one thing that disappears. Even though you tell yourself that the you will put away that one thing in the same spot, it still manages to disappear into oblivion.

    Over the years many random things have disappeared into that void. There was a time when the cat was a klepto, but she has since grown out of that phase, and yet, things still disappear – a Gruffalo plate, Spiderman spoon, erasers, my trusty sharpener. I'm thinking of installing a black hole proof safety box for housing my next sharpener. 

Talk About... Pop Cactus

My Poppet tutorial

Talk about, pop cactus

Talk about, pop cactus

Pop, pop, pop, pop cactus

It's another proud day for me, as a new tute of mine is now available at My Poppet. If you love pop, felt craft and cacti then this is the perfect thing for you. Check it out now!

Sick Day Things

    The littlest has been under the weather, but her day is made a whole lot better by watching The Adventures of Abney and Teal, playing some Lego and getting in lots of sleep. She also put in a request for her own lil Poc-Poc which I quickly sewed together.

    For those not in the know a Poc-Poc is a rather curious little ground creature, much like wood toys or what I imagine to be hardy seeds.

Drawing from the Heart

© Keira Gaggiano

    I love the illustrations and little handmade books my kids gift to me. The worlds and characters drawn have so much personality and speak volumes of who they are and what they want to be.

    As a treat my eldest offers the below illustration as a printable colour-in picture. Thanks Gwen! You're awesome!

© Gwen Gaggiano

The Sun in Autumn

© Melissa Gaggiano

    The cold season is always a welcome distraction in this house, particularly when we've been watching the weather bureau for blessed signs that the temperature is actually going to turn and drop below 25ºC.

    Now that Autumn actually feels like a real Autumn my family relishes in eating hot homemade pies and drinking hot chocolate. During the cold seasons I also have the urge to knit scarves. This is funny because it would make more sense to knit the scarf when it is still warm. Then the scarf can be ready to be worn at the first sign of frosty Melbourne winds.

    Right now I am knitting a sunny, yellow scarf from yarn left over from another craft project. I want this scarf to be super long, so in all likelihood I will be revisiting the craft store to buy a second skein.

    What do you look forward to doing during the cold seasons?

© Melissa Gaggiano

On the Street

© Melissa Gaggiano

    Stepping out for fresh air I like to look at people. Paying attention to the details – the clothes they wear, how they do their hair, the accessories they carry. Sometimes clothes are just clothes, but what we choose to wear can sometimes speak volumes of how we are feeling, and what we are like.

    Today I saw this girl and she was a bright spot on the map, when most other pedestrians are dressed in the corporate colour of Melbourne – all black. She caught my eye because she wore Converse shoes [I like wearing Converse too], blue aged wide leg straight cut 3/4 denim pants, and a very long pea green knitted coat. Her fringe was severe, but her face was so gentle that it somehow balanced out.