Modern Make

Loved up

2011-02-11T18:45:00.000+13:00

I had a small obsession with the adorable and delicious wee cakey shops (patisseries) in France... I couldn't go past one without stopping in to get a box that had an assorted selection of delicious and beautiful treats and Macaroons were always my fav - YUM! After seeing Callum make them on Masterchef I have been wanting to make them but they look so complicated and you always hear disaster stories. Anyway this weekend I am going to attempt these gorgeous heart shaped macs from this gorgeous blog. I will let you know how I get on. I am trying to be optimistic so I envisage they will just look just like hers - yeah right!

I did it!

2011-02-10T13:13:00.000+13:00

from this.........

to this!

I'm still not 100% sure but hubby, Mum and friends love it... not very 'natural' like I was after but fun for a change!

PS: Sorry for the lack of blogging, it recently came to my attention that specific people who know me (who I would never guess where interested in my life) are reading my blog and that totally creeped and weirded me out. But on reflection I'm now thinking bugger them, blogs are public places and I am not giving up something I, and my friends and family, enjoy. So a special 'hello' to those nosey parkers - you like my hair?

Enrolled

2010-12-15T14:28:00.002+13:00

I have done it. I am officially going to be a student again and it feels fantastic, and a little scary. It's part time as the kids are still quite small and I don't want to spend too much precious time away from them. Bachelor of Visual Arts - here I come! I seriously can't wait to learn how to use Illustrator and Photoshop correctly, and learn. Appreciating to learn, how thrilling! I have created a couple of logos and website's for friends & family recently and can't wait to learn more and grow my passion into a career.

Red, or not to Red?

2010-12-14T13:18:00.000+13:00

After reading Corrie's post yesterday, then seeing these gorgeous photo's here today - together with a hair appointment booked for Tuesday I feel like a change.

As a child my hair was strawberry blonde/brown. I never liked it as it was so different from others so in my teens I dyed it dark brown and early 20's I got blonde highlights. Then when I got engaged I got this urge to go natural, so I grew it out and this is what it was like at my hens do just before I got married {excuse the dodgy pic but it shows my hair colour the best}. When I was showing this to my husband he said for the first time ever that he likes it best this way.

After growing it out for so long after the wedding I went drastic and got a short haircut with a darker red, this pic is taken at my baby shower {sorry for another dodgy photo, again I am normally the one taking the photos so there are not too many of me!}

So I feel the clouds are aligning for another drastic change and I am keen to try out a colour similar to these:

Matilda's Kite Party

2010-12-10T16:38:00.000+13:00

This post is a little late! We threw Matilda a Kite Party at the Lake for her third birthday (in October) and boy 'o' boy was it fun. Sadly it was a little too windy and cold to start with but luckily it warmed up towards the end and it didn't affect the littlies having tons of fun. It was a bit of a mission to get everything to the lake, but the up side it was so super easy to clean up! I did plan to dress a table beautifully with buffet labels & banners that I had designed but it was so windy they would of blown away. I stressed out thinking what a disaster but my easy-going and lovely hubby whispered in my ear that 3yr olds are not so worried about pretty tables, and I agreed.... so just let it go :-(

Typically I was so busy having fun that I didn't take enough photos of the details I had worked so hard on... but here is a quick run down on what we did:

We firstly assembled the Kite Kits but it was just so windy it was really hard work. I ended up making most of them myself and then the kids decorated them with felts and stickers. Afte that they had a wee play at flying them and then sat down to a picnic lunch. I purchased little silver lunchboxes and filled them with sammies, popcorn, grapes and a carton of juice. Then it was treasure hunt time and I had made little bags of sweets for each child and put them in a basket that was hidden in a massive tree which had a little cave in it. They loved the Treasure Hunt - it was a great success.

first Treasure Hunt clue

Then it was time for the sweet food & cake.......

Yummo!

Choc Pops

The Cake! (My cousins wife made it and it turned out fabulous)

I did manage to take a pic of the cookie I made for the kiddies to take home

A pleasant suprise

2010-12-10T10:16:00.000+13:00

I have never really liked cats. My Mum dislikes them strongly which is probably why. Her Mum didn't like them either as when she was growing up in Scotland the cats would come inside and snuggle up to sleeping babies to keep warm. They had a friend who's little baby was suffocated by a cat sleeping on it in the cot. Hideous story I know but due to that we have never had a cat.

Then yesterday Matilda's god-mummy surprised the littlies with THE most adorable kitten whom we have named Jimmy. I am so suprised at how much I love him already. The littlies, especially Mack, are besotted with him. He has spent most of his time under the lazyboy and comes out now and then for a cruise and play.

Mum is away but I text her this pic and her reply was "Your off your bloody head".
I'm sure Jimmy will melt her heart soon enough!

Cute Sandals

2010-12-02T07:24:00.000+13:00

Darling Santa, I have been a really good girl this year and would love some of these super cute sandals from Ruby... pretty please with sugar on top? Angie xx

December 1st

2010-12-01T21:34:00.000+13:00

This is a big call but I have come to the realisation that it is just as exciting being a parent at Christmas, as it was being a child. To watch Matilda this morning as she woke then ran to the Advent Calender to see what the Christmas Fairies had left was magical! Even more so seeing the thrill of excitement when she saw a chocolate treat and found a wee note telling her that tonight when Daddy gets home we are going to the Christmas Tree farm to pick and collect and decorate our Christmas Tree! It makes us so happy to be creating our own wee family traditions......

Matilda in charge of 'the stick'

Found it! Matilda (surprisingly) accepted the boy's offer for a ride...

but then wanted Daddy to jump on too!

Then it was time to go home and decorate our lovely tree... Ryan had the special job of placing the Fairy on top, and Matilda and Mummy were on lights.....

After all the hard work was done we made the most DELICIOUS hot chocolate by mixing 300mls milk, 100mls cream and heating until boiling, then take off heat and add 100gm of good quality chocolate and whisk. Once chocolate is melted pour into cups and add marshmallows.... yummo. Warning: It is quite rich (and fattening!) so you only need a small amount, we used expresso cups.

W E L O V E C H R I S T M A S!!

First Santa Encounter

2010-12-01T12:41:00.000+13:00

We had hubby's work Christmas Party in the weekend which really started to get us in the Christmas spirit. Matilda was overjoyed when Santa walked in with a sack of presents. She stood patiently whilst he read the names and handed out the gifts...

still patient but getting a little distracted....

then finally the second to last present comes out and Santa call's her name......

WAHOO! Look at the joy on her face, priceless.

{The next day she spotted another Santa at a Department Store and she asked me, "Why is he a different Santa Mama?". I was actually stumped with what to say and the best I could come up with quickly was that Santa has lots of helpers. Immediately after my reply I wasn't happy with my answer... What do you tell your kiddies?}

My dream is soon to become reality...

2010-11-23T21:48:00.000+13:00

I love really good chocolate, especially Lindt. For awhile I have followed bloggers in the States who talk about S'mores and I have dreamt about making & eating them. Don't the look just devine? YUMMO! Lucky for me my dream is soon to become a reality as I just ordered Graham Crackers from this seller on Trade Me. They are not cheap but since I have been dreaming of these for so long it will be worth every cent. The only problem is they might taste as good as they look, and then I will have to keep buying!

S'more

Success

2010-11-19T20:31:00.002+13:00

Matilda started Kindy today and was a superstar. She LOVED it and I was so proud of what a wonderful day she had and the lovely comments from the teachers about what a confident and happy wee girl she is *blush*. I was so teary after dropping her off, and then watched the clock to pick up time. My wee girl is growing up and I just want her to slow down already! Tonight at story time in bed I told her that she was getting too big too quick and could she please just stay small forever? She replied "but I want to get big Mama.... but okay later on I will get small again for you"... so adorable.

Introducing... Talking Carl

2010-11-10T22:51:00.000+13:00

While I adore my iphone I haven't really got into the whole application phenomena. Don't get me wrong I think it is awesome technology but I have friends & family who are constantly on their ap's and showing others and lets just say I'm not so keen on that. I do enjoy a good game of Doodle Jump if I'm bored waiting for an appointment, but I generally check my emails or text. Matilda uses it the most playing games, educational might I add! BUT the other day I heard about the Talking Carl ap. It is super silly, but super funny, and has us all in fits of laughter. It's def one to pass on so check it out for a giggle... and I have been caught talking to carl by myself a couple of times!

Choc Chip Cookie Dough Balls

2010-10-11T15:52:00.000+13:00

It was Matilda's birthday party yesterday and it was so much fun. I love organising parties and adore seeing her enjoy it with all her little buddies. I will post pics soon but in the meantime here is something super yummy to make and EAT!

I got the idea from here. I didn't follow their recipe as I didn't have pudding mix so I just made my tried & tested Chewy Choc Chip Cookie recipe.. rolled the dough in balls and put in the freezer. Then when frozen pop a stick in and dip in melted chocolate... easy peezey! They were a hit with the Mum's at the party and I still have a few in the fridge... but not for long! Enjoy :-)

Family Meal Monday: Tuna Tagliatelle

2010-09-20T14:24:00.000+12:00

I love cooking yummo meals for the family but sometimes I get a bit bored cooking the same things so I thought I'd share a them with you in case your feeling the same and need some inspiration! This first recipe is VERY popular with everyone in our house, its super easy and freezes well. I originally found it in an Annabel Karmel book but I've whipped it up so many times now I know it by heart. It is definitely a family favourite!

Right click and save or copy image then you can print and keep in you recipe folder ready to make!

Cute Bob

2010-09-19T15:10:00.000+12:00

We have had a super cruisy weekend here at Millar HQ...

Mumsy & I went to the theatre on Friday night - very cultural of us don't you think? We saw 'Biography of My Skin' by Miranda Harcourt and it was really really good. It was super thought provoking and had us crying and laughing!

I took Matilda to the pools on Saturday morning, which is always fun, then we had lunch at the mall and got her hair cut in a cute wee bob which so suits her (and is so easy, no ties or clips!).

I hope you all had a cruisy weekend too :-)

PS: Don't forgot to visit Li'l Magoolie for a chance to win a 'Dancing Dollies' canvas!

Lil Magoolie - GIVEAWAY

2010-09-13T09:12:00.000+12:00

The fabulous Maddie over at Lil Magoolie has reviewed our 3D Canvas Art and is giving one away! Visit her blog to find out how to win. GOOD LUCK.

It's Pie time

2010-09-11T19:23:00.000+12:00

It's been raining here off and on all day today so we had a cruisy family day at home... I was treated to the biggest sleep in I have ever had post children, 9.30am would you believe! After a yummy brunch we visited the Grandies then came home and I finally gathered the energy to clean my office and a couple of cupboards that were in dire need of some organising (it always amazes me how satisfying organising & cleaning is). Anyways we have just put the kids to be and I whipped up a delicious 'Creamy Chicken & Bacon Vege Pie' which was yummo.

(A pie isn't a pie without decoration!)

Vege goodness (with a dash of cream of course to make it delish)

{SUPER COOL PARTY} - Amelia's Cooking Party

2010-09-10T13:03:00.000+12:00

We are so lucky that we get to see such gorgeously styled parties here in blog land....!! My oh my, there are some lovely ones but my fav's are simple, stylish & sweet parties like this party thrown by Pauline from The Party Studio for her 5yr old daughter. It is utterly devine!

I love a clever theme and this is an fabulous idea...

Minti Threads

2010-09-10T06:25:00.000+12:00

I wouldn't say I have a particular style that I follow to dress the children but I, like all Mums, I want them to look cute. They def don't have designer wardrobes but I do adore the sweetness and classic look of Country Road. What I am LOVING at the moment is bright colour and kids can pull it off so well, and luckily my wee darlings really suit colour. The Minti range this season ROCKS! I was lucky enough to win a voucher at Chocolate & Chilli so after a spot of online shopping yesterday these arrived on the doorstep super early this morning and I love them, ROCK ON SUMMER!

'Dancing Dollies'

2010-09-09T09:39:00.000+12:00

I am so happy and proud to announce the launch of my 'Dancing Dollies'.....

This unique and gorgeous piece of art would look perfect in any little girls nursery or bedroom. This design is stylish, timeless and fun!

Printed on the highest quality canvas using non fade pigment inks. The Dollies heads are handmade with gorgeous wee felt hats, plaited hair & embroidered eyes.

Each canvas is individually stretched around a box frame (3 sizes available) and is delivered ready to hang.

Proudly designed and handmade in New Zealand.

I originally hand painted this for Matilda's room (see here) when she was little and then went on to paint another for my god-daughter and then more for other wee girls of friends. I loved making them but they took quite a long time to paint and then I had others asking to buy them... so I decided to get sorted to get them printed on canvas to save time, and then I of course hand make their heads... and I am thrilled with the end result!

If you would like to purchase please either go to Etsy, Online Shop or Felt.

Please join us on Facebook for updates and giveaways!

I'm back.

2010-09-09T08:22:00.000+12:00

After a 8mth blogging holiday, well to be correct I should say a holiday from blogging! I have a new venture and most importantly a new camera. My camera got booze spilt on it at my cousins 21st in January and it has taken me this long to get a new one. It has been a long cold winter here in New Zealand and my youngest Mack has had a terrible run of sickness and sadly is not a great sleeper.. plus my hubby is working away from home during the week so I have been bogged under with life BUT I am just about to launch the new shop with some gorgeous products and spring is here. I'm really excited about a lovely long and fun summer...... and me getting more time to do what I love!

SPRING BLOSSOM!

Squidgyums

2010-09-09T07:58:00.000+12:00

I love to support handmade. Which is why I love to shop here. Kristin from Squidgyums made a couple of these great sleeveless hoodies for Mack that are great for between seasons. They wash great and he looks super cute in them.

Valentines idea....

2010-01-22T12:44:00.002+13:00

My hubby and I have always had a rule that Valentines Day is not about buying gifts, but after seeing this cool photo here I would break that rule! Sadly I am still carrying excess baby weight but next Valentines I am so going to visit the super clever Karyn from Photofever to get him on of these....

My 2010 Mantra

2010-01-16T23:04:00.001+13:00

Instead of resolutions this year I have decided on an everyday Mantra......

Inspired

2010-01-16T22:56:00.001+13:00

I LOVE to be organised so when I got back from holiday I was feeling totally and utterly overwhelmed as I had a. a messy office, b. a trillion 'to do's' and c. a kazillion emails to reply to. My head was spinning with things to do and I was also desperate for it to clear so I could function!

I then stumbled on the wonderful Sarah's (Style Me Gorgeous) blog about getting sorted in 2010, and the tools to become one. After reading the 'Sunny Mummy' blog I got TOTALLY inspired to get organised and have spent my minimal free time in the past week getting together a folder with lists & plans in it to help me become a 'Sunny Mummy'... and I feel SO much better... My 'to do' list is still massive BUT it is all in order so come Monday morning I am attacking it in a presise manner and tomorrow I am going to have a lovely day with my family not worrying about what needs to be done :-)

If you, like me, love to have things in order and function better with a clear head head over to Stacey's blog to have a look... become a Sunny Mummy now!

Felt. Like something different.

2010-01-16T22:21:00.002+13:00

I am lucky enough to be a part of this wonderful website felt - a super cool place to purchase and sell HANDMADE design and craft online... Check our my store.

Christmas & NY

2010-01-16T14:07:00.002+13:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR all! I hope you all had a great Christmas & NY. Matilda LOVED the excitement of Santa and it was so much fun creating the magic with her...

We spent tons of time at Mum and Poppa's chilling and swimming in their gorgeous pool which Matilda LOVED! She now jumps in with her floaties by herself and swims to the steps, independence is RIFE at the moment and although someone is always in the pool with her we are not allowed to assist! She squeals with delight the whole time and I can't wait to next summer when Mack can join her :-)

Then it was off to Hawkes Bay for a week leading up to my cousin Bonnie' 21st, which was super duper fun as expected. I got to have some great girly time with her shopping for her dress (which she looked stunning in, shes in the pink)

It was super cool to catch up with all the family. I did a wee speech and was the official photographer so once my duties were over I had a great time on the d-floor and as per normal at families parties I drank way too much (not that I can remember but the way I was feeling the next day said it all!).

My cousin JP and my hubby sharing a beer & a laugh at the 21st

WINNER announced....

2009-12-22T21:13:00.001+13:00

The winner of the giveaway is Toni Coward! Congratulations Toni!!!

A BIG thanks to all who entered.... better luck next time :-)

GIVEAWAY time......!!!!!

2009-12-13T17:53:00.001+13:00

Would you like to WIN one of our gorgeous frocks for the wee darling in your life just in time for Christmas?

To enter please go to the Frock facebook page and write on the wall about either of the following:

a. Why you love seeing your little girl in a gorgeous frock?
b. A childhood memory of your favourite frock as a little girl?

PLUS please invite your friends to also to enter as for every 75 entries I will add another frock to the draw!!!!!

I will draw a winner at 10am on Tuesday 22nd of December and courier the dress that day to the winner.

GOOD LUCK!

Family Stockings

2009-12-09T20:58:00.002+13:00

I actually started these last year, at the last minute (which is always my style!), and ran out of time to get them finished. So this year I just had to dig them out, finish mine, sew them together and make one for our new addition Mack. I am so happy how they turned out!

(I have just noticed that the eyebrow from Ryan's cowboy Santa that I lost whilst sewing, is on Matilda's elfs face in this photo! LOL! I wondered where that had got to!)

4 day CHRISTMAS SALE! 30% off ALL frocks!

2009-12-06T20:21:00.003+13:00

Please read this months 'December News' to find out more on how to redeem.

Ho Ho Ho...! Day 4&5.

2009-12-05T20:41:00.000+13:00

I had my friends two gorgeous kiddies on a Friday, plus mine, and we made some delicious Gingerbread People...! Yummo! They were gobbled up before bedtime as they were soft & chewy in the middle and crunchy on top and the aroma in the house was devine...

Then as soon as hubby came home from work we headed out to choose our Christmas tree.... We had been talking about trees all day, Matilda was so excited, and then the poor wee darling fell asleep in the car on the way to get it so she missed the whole thing! This morning when she woke we did it together and put up decorations around the house. Mum came for a cuppa this morning on her way to the shops and on her way back she dropped off some very cool ornaments... my favourite was a Pavalova Angel - so cute and I just adore NZ themed christmas things.. she has the proud position on the top of the tree.

We decided on a small tree this year and I'm glad we did as it looks perfect!

I'm all in for creating our family traditions and one is the photo of the kiddies by the tree.

heres a better one closer up....

HO HO HO.........!

Our Homemade Advent Calendar!

2009-12-04T16:11:00.001+13:00

I am so super pleased with how our Advent Calender turned out....

I wanted to make something that would last for a long time but could be easily updated if need be. Something that is pulled out every year and the children squeal with joy and relish in the traditions of christmas. It was a joint effort by my Hubby + I and we made 3 in total, one for my god-daughter, one for friends children and one for us...

I got this inspiration to create this after seeing these wee bags one on Ohdeedoh. I love the idea of it not being just about chocolate, about having wee notes to do different crafts + activities that create excitement about Christmas. It has certainly done that already and we are only at Day 4!

Here is a list of what I have put in each day:

1st: Open a present (a christmas book)

2nd: Make Christmas cards & post them

3rd: A sweet treat

4th: Make Gingerbread Men

5th: Family outing to pick Christmas tree - decorate

6th: Make Christmas Decorations

7th: Hang Stockings

8th: Make a Popcorn Wreath for front door.

9th: Santa Run - Charity Event

10th: A sweet Treat

11th: Watch a Christmas movie

12th: Make Christmas cookies for friends

13th: Christmas Parade

14th: Find Mistletoe to hang

15th: A sweet treat

16th: A wee present

17th: Family outing to see Christmas Lights

18th: Make Christmas cookies and take to the Old peoples home

19th: Have a Christmas Party with friends.

20th: A sweet treat

21st: Make a Gingerbread House

22nd: Family outing to see neighborhood lights

23rd: Watch a Christmas movie

24th: Open one present before bed.

25th: CHRISTMAS!!!

The winner is......

2009-12-04T08:56:00.002+13:00

My trusty sidekick was in charge of picking a name....

all names where placed in a bowl....

The winner of The Great Frock GIVEAWAY is.......

CONGRATULATIONS Rachael!

Please email me to arrange your prize - angie@frock.co.nz

Thank you everyone who participated and watch this space as I will do another giveaway soon!

"Nothing tastes as good as fit & healthy feels"

2009-11-24T22:22:00.000+13:00

I drafted this blog last Thursday and didn't post it as I wasn't sure if I wanted to share...

I have totally got myself into a major rut in regards to my weight and what I am eating.... I have a MAJOR sweet tooth especially after dinner when I crave chocolate, right now I'm dreaming of a Boysenberry Trumpet... (for those of you who are not NZer's it is a delicious ice-cream in a waffle cone with chocolate and nuts on top... yummmmmy!). When I was pregnant I would beg my hubby to go to the shop and buy one and due to this I put on way too much weight during both pregnancies. I was 62kg when I fell pregnant with Matilda and now I am a whopping 77kg (!!!). So I have started a 12wk plan with a personal trainer, and just go once a week for a butt whip but she is really big on nutrition so I have a great eating plan which I'm lovin.

Did you hear the controversy about Kate Moss's motto she shared with a reporter this week.... "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels". I really don't like the word skinny so to make it suit me I have changed it to "Nothing tastes as good as fit & healthy feels" and it is my new motto and I'm aiming to lose 15kg in 6mths. Aim for the stars I say, so stars here I come.

.... but now 5 days later, I went back to the PT and jumped on the scales and.....I lost 1.9kg - WAHOO!!

Frock GIVEAWAY!

2009-11-17T22:57:00.006+13:00

To celebrate the official launch of Frock I thought a GIVEAWAY would be perfect. What a gorgeous Christmas present one of our lovely frocks would make to the special wee darling in your life.

HOW TO WIN:

1. Become a follower and please leave a comment telling me why you'd love to win this frock, and if you did win who would you give it to.

2. Check out my website and let me know which frock is your favourite.

3. Blog, facebook or twitter about this GIVEAWAY two times (the winner would need to show links to prove this before claiming prize).

I will do a random draw on the 1st December 2009 and the winner will receive the frock of their choice from our Summer Collection & free delivery!

Frock Launch Photos

2009-11-16T22:04:00.001+13:00

The super clever Karyn from Photofever captured some gorgeous pics of my frocks which I would love to share with you.... I am launching tomorrow & there will be a blog giveaway to celebrate :-)

21st Invitation

2009-11-15T11:37:00.000+13:00

My gorgeous cousin Bonnie is turning 21 in January and I offered to design her 21st invitation. I'm no designer but I love playing around with Pages on my Mac.... I'm quite chuffed with how it turned out. She is having a joint one with her BFF Pip and they pretty much gave me free rein to do whatever so I made up a quick poem and put some cool retro colours together. What do you think?

Side 1 (has a blank space to write persons name)

Side 2

Thundies are the shizzle!

2009-11-09T20:32:00.002+13:00

I just wanted to share with you all I purchase I made this week so was a little pricey but it rings true the good old saying "you get what you pay for"..... Thundies

When I started potty training with Matilda awhile back we went out and purchased a cheap pack of 4 knickers... which are fine BUT they are so thin and as a ton of little girls do she constantly has her hand down there which I know is totally natural, but a tad unhygenic when she is eating!!

I had a couple pairs of these Thunderpants that were a godsend after her birth as they are thick and comfy, and whilst out shopping recently I found they do them for kids too! Woohoo!

Needless to say they are pricey but worth it (they are NZ Made from gorgeous fabric) as they cover her completely and keep her hands out! So today when she was at the park in her skirt she could climb and slide and she was totally covered. They are NZ$20 a pair but they will last for ages and they have a special deal at the moment at their online store - 3 for $50. Plus they come in a couple of cute designs and the sizing is 2-4 so will last her for ages..... A fab stocking filler idea too.

GO THUNDIES!!!

The slacker Blogger repents!

2009-11-06T20:37:00.000+13:00

Hey all... apologies for the lack of blogging as of late. We had the children's joint Christening a couple of weeks back and it took me a whole week to recover! The hangover lasted 3 days (thats what happens when you haven't overindulged in over a year!) and after having 30 adults and 11 children at our place for the day/night the house was a shambles. It was an awesome day though and totally worth it. Here is snap of our friends & family - the forecast was for rain all day but someone was smiling on us and it was beautiful all day long - which was perfect since lunch in the garden was the plan!

Here is Matilda in her 'Pretty in Pink' Bubble frock by Frock, looking EVER so cute if I do say so myself.

So I finally got everything back to normal after the big celebration and then poor wee Matilda came down with the worst case of Hand, Foot & Mouth...! She was so sick and had blisters all through her mouth and down her throat we even had to got to the hospital as she stopped eating and drinking. Thankfully she is back to her cheeky wee self now and today was the first day she had left the house in 7 days (as it is so contagious).

Fudge is going along great guns and we have had a fabulous first 5 weeks in business! I posted off a tons of orders today to New York, Dubai, Singapore & Canada! So exciting to see our names going off to homes around the world. We also have a ton of new stockists that I will blog about one by one soon.

Frock is due to launch anyday... I have had a series of unfortunate events to delay it - labels turning up in the wrong colour and now my website designer (a friend) has had delays. So hopefully early next week!

I can't believe Christmas is so close! Yay, I just love Christmas and I have just written my list of crafting "to do's" so will share with you all along the way.

Bye for now, Angie :-)

Matilda turns 2!

2009-10-12T21:06:00.005+13:00

Our wee darling Matilda turned 2 on Sunday and it was such a special and fun day. After a week of cold and rain we were SO happy to wake on Sunday to sunshine...yay! I was up at 5am making the cake as I had decided it would be much better to have fresh cake (never again!!!)... In hindsight it was actually lovely as it was really peaceful and I kept looking at the clock remembering the day two years ago. Matilda woke up at 7ish and we had a bit of a birthday dance together and then headed to our bed for PRESENTS! It is our family tradition that present opening is the very first thing we do... and she loved it... I think we did well with our choice of presents... I was aiming for educational things to do, as she is such a busy bee so the easel was a hit with the magnetic alphabet...

But she loves the Wot Wots on telly and Ryan insisted we get her a Wot Wot toy... I am not really into plastic toys but I buckled and am glad I did as she loves it and takes it everywhere! Look how happy she was when she opened it :-)

I finally finished icing the cake at 9.40am and jumped in the shower as everyone was arriving at 10am.... cutting it fine and luckily in the nick of time everything was ready to go... and I made a mental note NEVER to make the cake on the day again, phew!

The theme was a Book Party as Matilda just loves to read and I had made her a gorgeous little Red Riding outfit. She wouldn't wear the cape, or hold the basket even for a photo! And the gorgeous wee red shoes were on for 1.5mins! But she looked sweet in the little dress I made her.... (I will post more pics later)

Mack (who is now 18wks old) was The Hungry Caterpillar and I made him this sweet hat which he looked adorable in...... ohhhhh....

I just loved seeing all the littlies arriving in their cute outfits....

I had made the food table low for them to help themselves but in the rush forgot to cover it so the little darlings had pulled up their chairs to the table and started eating straight away! Oh well, as long as they were happy..

Ryan made Bacon + Egg baps for the adults and I read to kiddies some books on the trampoline... I had planned more games but they were so happy playing I just let them cruise and play.

We did the Birthday cake which was The Hungry Little Caterpillar... it was a bit rushed but I think it still looked good and the kiddies loves all the colours...!

Just before they all left we got out a bucket of water balloons and let them thrown them at Ryan - which they loved! A couple of the other Dads started too and it turned into a bit of a water fight and the kids thought it was wonderful as you can imagine!!!

We also didn't give favours to the kids and instead Mum gave the mothers a bottle of Wine and some chocolates..... as you can imagined they were surprised and delighted!

Matilda had an absolute ball and Ryan and I were quite proud of our first attempt at a kiddies birthday bash. Ryan was a super star and whilst I had a nap with the kids after everyone left I woke up to a clean house and dishes done, lucky me!

My Dad is the REAL Dennis the Menace!

2009-10-05T10:32:00.001+13:00

We have just found out the man who created Dennis the Menace based the character on my Dad when he was little. They were family friends and Dad was sweet on his little girl... but after reading the article the feeling wasn't reciprocal...lol!

Funnily enough Mum and my Step-Dad are in the UK and they were at the Edinburgh airport reading the paper and waiting for their flight and they saw the article! Mum phoned me straight away and then I found it online. Dad had told me awhile ago when he was contacted but to be honest I thought someone was pulling his leg... but now he has proof!

The creators daughter + Dad

Ohdeedoh are raving about Fudge! YAY!

2009-10-03T09:11:00.006+13:00

Yesterday the lovely Carrie contacted and asked if she could write about Fudge on Ohdeedoh!

As you can imagine I said YES YES YES!! This morning I woke to a lovely email from Carrie saying its up and to check out the link...... and what a cool write up. I am tickled pink.

For those of you who know about Ohdeedoh you will understand how cool this is, and for those who don't check out their website.... they are based in the US and in their words "this is a site for people who care about design, but happen to have children." You can post a tour of your kids rooms, or gather inspiration to create cool spaces for your kids.

All in all I am a very happy lady! Yesterday Fudge had been officially open one week, the orders rolled in all week from the UK and the US, and I picked up 6 retailers. Pretty good for Week 1, I wonder what next week will bring?

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend with your families.

Angie :-)

Caramel Oaty Slice

2009-10-02T21:52:00.010+13:00

My 9yr old niece arrived today for a week of school holidays so this afternoon we decided to celebrate her arrival, and the end of a great week, by doing some baking....yummy...! We thought something sweet & sickly would go well and decided to go with a trusty family favourite... Caramel Oaty Slice. Really easy and really sweet! Baking always cracks me up with kids as most of the mixture gets eaten before its baked.... oh well thats half the fun isn't it.

Matilda's little fingers were firmly grasped on the beater and she licked it clean!

I did set the timer but it isn't very loud and we were all jumping on the Trampoline having a great time...! When I came it to check it I was horrified that the timer had gone off.... but I saved in just in time! It wasn't burnt, but nice and chewy on the top - delicious!!!

CARAMEL OAT SLICE

INGREDIENTS

Caramel filling

390g can of condensed milk

50g butter

2 tablespoons golden syrup

Base

175 grams butter, softened

¼ cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1½ cups flour, sifted

½ cup rolled oats

METHOD

Prepare the filling. Put the condensed milk, butter and golden syrup into a small saucepan and stir over a low heat for 4–5 minutes until the mixture becomes thick and golden. Cool.

Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Grease and line the base of a square 23cm x 23cm slice or cake tin with baking paper.

In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla together until light and creamy. Stir the flour into the creamed mixture with the oats and work in the dry ingredients to make a moist crumbly mixture.

Press about three-quarters of the mixture over the base of the prepared tin. Pour over the cooled caramel filling and spread out evenly. Scatter over the remaining crumble mixture.

Bake for 30–35 minutes until golden. Cool in the tin for 10–15 minutes before transferring to a cake rack to cool. As the slice is very rich, cut into small squares to serve. Store in an airtight container.

Makes 40

Recipe & photo: Bake by Allyson Gofton. Published by Penguin Group (NZ). Allyson Gofton Photo: Alan Gillard

Frock

2009-10-02T07:47:00.005+13:00

The super clever & talented Sarah from Style Me Gorgeous has created an absolutely gorgeous logo for Frock (more on this later....... hoping to launch mid October) but I just love the logo so much and want to share it with you all!

I have named the wee girl Josephine after my Mummy (cause she's the best - love you Mum xx).

LMNOP Competition

2009-10-01T12:07:00.007+13:00

We were totally honoured to be contacted by the wonderful LMNOP to ask if they could blog about us....! How cool is that? I love their e-mag and am super stoked to be featured in their blog.

They had a clever and cool idea to run a competition called 'Name this Baby ' is his name Ben, Jack or Hunter?

What are you waiting for...... enter today to win a FREE Custom Made Name from Fudge Design... (and while you are there download their awesome and styley e-mag for FREE!)

Have a happy day :-)

Photoshoot

2009-09-24T14:19:00.006+12:00

What a cutie....

This wee darling is 9mths old and worked the camera liked he'd been doing it for years yesterday at Photofever.

These are the launch pics for Fudge Design which has gone live today, and officially launches tomorrow... exciting!

A Gorgeous Day in Paradise

2009-09-08T12:26:00.007+12:00

What a gorgeous day in paradise today is. The sun is shining,I have a spring in my step and a smile on my dial!!

I just got back from the hairdresser and have had my fringe cut back and I love it! There is nothing like a great haircut to make you feel sexy + full of the joys of life. Especially when you are a Mummy and are sleep deprived and normally covered it baby spew... a haircut is just what I needed to make me feel normal.

When I got back our Bumbo had arrived... I didn't have one for Matilda but my friends rave about them so instead of purchasing another high chair we got one of these in YELLOW and it is fantastic already..... he loves it and I can put him in it on the bench while I am making bottles etc so he can hang out and see what I'm doing. Mack loves to be sitting upright plus its great for his wind! It also comes with a tray so when he starts solids I can put him on the table to feed him, and it is great to take when we go away. I wish I got one sooner....

I purchased from 3 Wise Monkeys if anyone wants to get one. I highly recommend to all!

HAVE A HAPPY DAY!!

Angie xx

Yellow

2009-09-07T13:46:00.009+12:00

I am madly in love with the all things yellow at the moment. Maybe because its Spring, but mostly because its such a bright and happy colour... and my 22mth old calls everything she sees YELLOW! It is such a cool word....

So in fitting with my new passion for the colour yellow I purchased this on Etsy last week for my sons wall. It arrived today.... and I love it! I am off to the framer now so I can get it on the wall as soon as possible.... Mack is 13wks now and truly is my sunshine with his baby babble and gorgeous grins - so this print is perfect for him.

Have a happy day...... Angie xx

PS: Its by the oh so clever Katie Daisy.

Saving a buck

2009-08-30T13:49:00.008+12:00

So I have officially decided that although it is lovely to receive an invite in the post it is totally more economical to email them..... so this morning I created up two invites for a couple of events we have coming up.

The childrens Christening - a double header as we didn't get around to it when Matilda arrived

Matilda's 2nd Birthday - she loves reading ESPECIALLY the Hungry Little Caterpillar!

I am so happy with how they turned out... I have taught myself how to use Pages on my Mac and I just love what I can do - its so much fun.

I hope you are having a happy Sunday :-)

Decisions, decisions.

2009-08-28T08:47:00.010+12:00

Matilda has been covered in a viral rash since Monday. The poor wee thing so has been home all week and has been super clingy so we have spent tons of time cuddling on the sofa... which is nice and I think we have finally bonded back to how we were before her brother arrived 3mths ago.... She kinda went off me a little as he took so much of my time, but we are all good again after our cuddly week.

I love this pic - the home cut straight fringes, the "say cheese" smiles and the line up in their best frocks with matching ribbons.

I did manage to get a bit of work done this week including finally deciding to start a new biz called 'Frock' (thanks to Lou from Skout who suggested the name - I loved it as my Granny was an amazing seamstress and always calls dresses Frocks, so it is special). I created Summer Dresses awhile ago that were aimed to be sold last Summer but as I was so ill with my pregnancy I put it off... So I have decided to start Frock smallish with 3 styles of gorgeous dresses for this summer, in a couple of colourways, and sell them exclusively online this season and see how it goes... I have the super talented Sarah from Style Me Gorgeous working on the Logo, and I'm about to send the dresses to the also super talented Karyn from Photofever who is going to work her magic... So exciting, watch this space........

Also I am just getting into blogging, and have noticed other bloggers have specific days where they do specific things. Therefore I have thought up a plan of attack to get me into regular blogging: Mondays I will post a sewing project, Wednesdays will be a fab product or find and Fridays will be a recipe.

Have a happy weekend. Angie xx

Matilda the Ballerina

2009-08-16T19:23:00.016+12:00

Matilda's BFF, Maddison, turned two in the weekend and her lovely Mummy through her a gorgeous fancy dress party.... I had planned to sew something but the combination of a broken sewing machine, a heavy cold and a 10wk old baby forced me to hit the shops to buy something... I was determined to get something that wasn't pink and princessy or fairy but after having a good look around I spotted a gorgeous pale pink tutu for $30 and knew she would love it. I then went to the local dance shop to get the tights and the slippers and cardigan and taaaa.....daaaa....... she looked gorgeous if I must say so myself!

It was her first fancy dress party so I got a little carried away with the pics.....

The gorgeous Birthday Bee - Maddison....!

Jackson (Maddison's wee bro)

and last, but not least, the fantastic and delicious CAKE!!!!

Maddi loves the BNZ ad on telly with all the piggies and always boogies down to Tiki Tane's 'Always on my Mind when it comes on... it was playing when her Mummy brought out the cake and little Maddi was again cutting shapes on the d-floor! Too cute!

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Logo

2009-08-14T21:06:00.005+12:00

This week the super talented Nykie from Noo Creative has created a styley & gorgeous logo for my new biz..... and I met with my web designer tonight to go over the designs for the layout which I have done all by myself....... so its all slowly coming together! I haven't set a launch date yet but it will be some time in September... in the meantime here is a squizzy at the logo.....

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Mischief & The Joys of being a WAHM

2009-08-11T16:46:00.009+12:00

Okay so I was in the office for about 5 mins replying to a couple of emails.......

and then I had to spend two hours cleaning up all the beans that my delightful wee darling had pulled out of our pouf... and they are still all over the house!! Don't ya just love mischievous toddlers!

PS: I have found my happy face again :-)

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Bye Bye Anklebiter

2009-08-08T11:39:00.014+12:00

I can't seem to find my happy face today.................

Anklebiter has been sold to a lovely English lady who lives in North Canterbury. It was awesome to hear her excitement about her plans and I am positive she will do really well. I am really happy for her but I have spent 2yrs thinking and breathing AB so I have a huge feeling of sadness. Even though it was a super hard decision to sell, once I made it I almost felt relieved. But now that it is actually sold, and all so final, it makes me a little sad. Of course it was time to sell and move on but it was such a big part of my life and it is strange to think that it will all be gone on Monday.

I'm usually not one to dwell on things for too long but I just can't shake this feeling.... I am sure come Tuesday I will be smiling again.

Here are a few pics for memories sake:

June 2007 - Opening day photoshoot for the local newspaper.

Poppa holding Matilda who's wearing her first AB tee.

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Thought of the Day

2009-08-06T13:00:00.013+12:00

Whilst feeding my wee man this morning I had one eye on him and the other on an interesting article in the Viva supplement of the NZ Herald..... it was all about Helen Gurley Brown who is the founder of Cosmopolitan Magazine. What a women! Now at the age of 87 she still exercises for 90mins every day and is still the international editor for the mag - "her determination is exhausting" it writes!

She has had an amazing, amazing life and I just loved this quote of hers:

"Nothing is as much fun as achieving!"

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Welcome

2009-08-05T12:47:00.016+12:00

I am so super excited to be writing my first blog post. I thought I'd give you a quick run down about me... I'm Angie and I am lucky enough to be married to my dashing beau Ryan... we have two totally gorgeous kiddies, Matilda + Mackenzie and live in a wee villa in Hamilton. I currently own Anklebiter - a clothing label for 0-5yr olds that I started 2 years ago but it is up for sale as it is time for me to move on to something smaller. The kids keep me extremely busy and I also love to make... whether it is cooking, crafting or sewing I take huge enjoyment from creating anything. In this blog I will write about my work, my life, my family and all the things I get up too (well not ALL the things, but some :-)

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