Sleep Is For The Weak:: Annelise by Sussan

It seems insomnia has taken a hold of me. I've spent many sleepless nights this week looking into the darkness. Listening to Matt sleeping. And wishing, hoping, praying that I would fall asleep quickly too.

I am like a crazy zombie.

So sleep is top of mind this week. When isn't it? Last week I told you how much I love sleep, this week I'm telling you how much I am missing sleep.

Sleep. Where for art thou?

So it seems perfectly apt to be telling you about this beautiful new collection by Annelise for Sussan.

Designed using antique laces and prints foraged from around the world, the collection is as perfectly vintage as it is timeless.

How could I resist sharing these playful images with you? It's like they've been ripped straight from a vintage magazine, and they made my heart go bompity bomp!
 

These cotton voile pyjamas are high on my Christmas wish list. Santa, yes please!

And this chemise fits so beautifully. It feels so luxe on, I've been swanning around the house in it.

In store and online now
Prices from $9.95

New Finds:: SOMN by ELK

You guys have NO idea how excited, delighted, totally ridiculously ecstatic I was to discover that Elk has a new sleepwear collection - called SOMN (Swedish for to sleep).

We - you and me - we know how much I love to sleep. It's one of my favourite things to do. 

For me, this is a match made in heaven. My favourite Australian accessories label creating sleepwear. HELLO! 

Created with the idea that quiet moments are almost a luxury - Elk's SOMN range is to make ever night feel a little more special.

Using raw, stone washed linen and soft cotton in calming neutrals, they look good enough to wear out of the house. That palette is just MWAH! Perfect. I can imagine spending many hot summer days lounging around the house in this simple collection. 

Personally I've got my eyes on Kvall Pyjama set. 

And the Nuit Pocket dress. 
And the Sove Pyjama set

Check out the whole SOMN by Elk range here. 

Magical March: Day 8

Are you feeling it? In Sydney, it's overcast, a little cool, perfectly Autumnal. Ideal for snuggling under quilts and watching old movies.

Well. If I didn't have two wee ones, perhaps that's what we'd be doing.

But instead, we went to Bunnings this morning. One of my favourite places to visit. You may think I am odd - but there's something about a hardware store that gets me. Maybe it's the endless possibilities. It makes me feel excited. Gets me thinking about our home and how we can make it ours (no mean feat when you live with your in-laws). I left with two plastic storage boxes to keep the big, fat silverfish at bay, and a tube of gap sealant. Exciting, non?

It's raining too. Just the sound of drizzle. Even more perfect for snuggling, snoozing. Baking. We're making lasagne for dinner.

Today? What's Magical? Sundays are always pretty good in my book. But today I got to finish some old projects. Gulp. Remember these PJs? Well now they finally have buttons.

Back To School: Sewing Class - Second Session - Week 1

So it is dear reader, I'm heading back to sewing lessons tonight with a vision. I may not be Karl, but damn fool, I'm going to get this top I started last year happening so I can at least wear it in the intended season. Summer. And if that fails, then I'll just stitch up some more pyjama pants - because you know how I love to stitch those babies up, even if I do have a wild tendency to stitch the legs up. Problem? The Doctor hasn't even worn the top once!

Did I mention I found a sewing machine on the side of the road? No? Well I did - on Tiny's birthday. I just am a little scared to rev it up. Just hold tight. Ok, coming to you live - I just tried her out. Sewing is dangerous, isn't it? She started up, then flick - the needle broke off and hit me in the forehead. YOUCH! It hurt. I told you it was dangerous. Next time I may have to wear goggles in class of flying needles.

While I have you, I've done a wee bit of tidying here at PMM HQ. I have updated my link list, and am updating my playlist, and you'll notice a few more changes around here soon. I did change the background to a buttery yellow - for all of two minutes - before I went back to white. White's tight, right? I was meant to update yonks ago, but didn't get to it, so I figure if I take the same approach I do to decluttering our home, it will eventually happen. You'll still feel at home dear reader!

Since You're All Such Big Fans

*peering over my sunglasses at you*


I couldn't resist but share a picture of everyone's favourite main man. Horatio Caine. Big ups to the writers of CSI for giving him such a crazy name. Wow David Caruso - you've never been cooler or kookier. High fives all 'round. BTW - he's got copies of everyone's DNA and swiped your keyboard for epithelials in case you get up to something a little naughty (perhaps now that I've dabbled in a little CSI street-speak you see how far my fascination goes?).


Enough frivolity! That's not the pottymouthmama spirit, is it? No. Back to work. Heads down and all that, a rose by any other name?

It's looking sweet without being sappy, right? Help a stitcher out. Someone asked if it's french knots, but no, it's my favourite stitch of all time - backstitch (I never thought I'd be saying 'my favourite stitch of all time'). Even the underside is looking neat - and that is no mean feat. Most of the time the underside of my stitching is messy as though a bunch of mice have been pulling at it and making a nest out of my lovely floss.


On another stitching front - sewing week class number seven - finished the pyjama top, finished another pair of pyjama bottoms for one of my nephews, and didn't even stitch an inch on my top. Bah humbug!


Here's my model (aka The Doctor) showing off his new pyjama top. Look how thrilled he was - lying down on the ground - with tongue poking out. If only all models were this charming (Kate Moss take note). I bribed him with a square of chocolate to put the darn thing on. Hopefully my rosie stitching recipient does not react in the same way, or I'll have to bribe them with chocolate too.

Swing Low: Thank Goodness There's Always Sewing

It's frightening how quickly Christmas is coming. I've got sewing to do peeps, and I haven't even started. I've got presents to buy. I've got reindeer poo to make. I've got lists to source. I've got things to do. Places to be. A beard to grow (ok, perhaps I won't go that far). I've got a hot date with a gingerbread house coming up soon. I've got the house to decorate. I've got to ho-ho-ho and hurry up.

I'm pleased the weekend is over. Another one I wished away. You might think I'm crazy. But you may have also forgotten that I live with my in-laws. Yep. Three years + 10 months. Not that I'm counting (or hitting my head against the wall). Not much anyway.

So today, perhaps I'm meant to be doing something else. But for me, I need some therapy, and today - thankfully, it comes cheap. Today it comes in the form of cutting out more pyjama pants (soon the Doctor is going to have more size 4 pyjama pants than there are days in a year), and getting ready to embroider something special for someone special for a special day this year. Read: Christmas Day.

Tiny is on the verge of an ear infection. I've got the antibiotics if it flares up. The Doctor has a cold. And me, I get the mandatory sore throat that seems to creep up when everyone else is sick and I'm running around looking after them. Bah humbug!

Hoorah for my sewing class tonight.

Runway To Reality

Last night was week five of sewing classes. I went with a mission. I had to finish some more pj pants for the Doctor and start on my top. The Doctor had been asking for the digger pants since the first week, so I had to give him some bang for his buck.

Given that I was just doing a pair of simple pants and had oodles of digger fabric, I was given the option of doing multiple pairs. At first I declined, in the interests of stitching something for myself, but after I finished the first pair of shorties, I rethought my options. I cut out another pair and got stitching.

It's here where I should let you know I had a few wee hiccups. Well, really not hiccups per se, I'd call them kind of large setbacks. I may have stitched up the legs on the first pair of shorties. I was determined not to do that again, as my friend the quick unpick and I were spending way too much time together. Maybe I did that trick again on the second pair. Yes, I'll admit it, I sewed up the legs on both pairs. Ahem. I did. It's true. Guilty.

So the quick unpick and I are well acquainted.

But I did manage to finish one pair and get a start on the second, and contemplate cutting out the top.

Needless to say, there was one very excited little dude running about our house this morning in new 'pamps'. However, not to be deterred by the fact they are in fact pyjamas, the Doctor's taken to wearing them all the time. Not just night time attire so it seems.

Ah well, I can dig it. Boom boom!

All this makes me very happy.

Sew What If I'm Procrastinating?

Greetings!

I'll give you a break from my Obama dialogue (if you're in the US - make your vote count!), but before I do, admit it, Obama is a great, great man.

Last night - week four of sewing. I thought I was going to finish those darn pjs. Well it wasn't to be. After inspecting my sewing from the previous week, I discovered that all was not well and that the sleeve had an added pleat that was not truly meant to be there. Aye aye aye. This has obviously dashed all my Project Runway dreams.

My sewing teacher kindly unpicked what we thought was the problem. I went to re-sew, only to discover that we'd only scraped the surface, there was a whole world of pain going on with that sleeve, and the only way was to take it off completely and start again. Four weeks on one pair of pyjamas. I am going for some kind of record.

I re-sewed, re-attached, and then - well, I discovered something funky going on with the sleeve underneath it. The long and the short of it is - my sewing teacher has taken pity on me - she's kept the top and is going to fix the mistakes for me this week.

Next week - buttons ahoy. Fingers crossed I can finish. Think strong, powerful, pyjama thoughts for me. Next sewing project, I'm thinking something sleeveless could be on the agenda. Ahem.

After sewing I come home wired (not in a Cliff Richard way, though I could do with a pair of rollerskates and spray on jeans), can't sleep, too excited. I try and chat to my sleeping husband. I read blogs. I'm trying to catch up on my favourites (639 posts to get through - eeek!), and come and visit commenters. Sorry I've been a little slack of late. I will come and say toodles soon.

It's Melbourne Cup Day, I'm not doing much except watching the race (oh and I treated myself to a trip to the Dentist this morning - what JOY!) - what are you doing to celebrate the fillies?