{crafternoons}

{DIY project inspiration}

{gold leaf pots}   {string wall art}   {paper bling}

{crocheted collar}   {painted pots}   {painted bead key rings}

hello lovely friendlikins!

i'm excited for a new year + new crafty DIY projects to work on! does making things tickle your fancy too? i'm keen beans to try out the lovely projects above : ) they're crafty things that i've been wanting to make for some time now + i think great projects for those of us who want to spend ZERO dollars.

it makes me smile, just thinking about how the string art will pretty up the walls of our abode. and how lovely it would be to have some pretty pots + plants to greet us + visitors at our door {i don't trust the cats with plants, we'll see!}

are you working on any DIY projects at the mo? have any crafty adventures up your sleeve?! do tell, won't you : )

HAPPY CRAFTING LOVELIES!

love love

 {lizzie}

  xoxo

{52 things before 25}

{crochet sock inspiration}

{bird}

{toffee}   {waves}

{green}   {hearts}   {peach}

hello lovely friendlikins!

how are you this fine day? hope your'e feeling fine + dandy in the sunshine! soaking in some rays, having a picnic lunch + enjoying the lovely things that come with spring! i'm guessing your'e not thinking about crocheting socks. why would you want to do that in the sunshine times? i hear you say. or maybe your'e an avid crocheter like me + will crochet rain, hail or shine + craft absolutely anywhere!

some crafty adventures i've had:

* at the bus stop + on the bus

* at the train station + on the train

*at the airport + on the plane

* at the ferry wharf + on the ferry

* in the car

* at the movies

* at church

* at a club

* at a pub

* at cafes

* at the park

* on a swing

i LOVE to crochet! do you? where's the most random place you've crafted? would love to know! : )

learning how to crochet socks is on my 52 things before 25 list, and so i thought it would be a good idea to get some inspiration, to get the ball rolling! i think the ball has gotten too much speed now though, i want to make socks, slippers + a CHRISTmas stocking too!

{turkish}   {bows}

thankfully i know some clever crafty peeps who i can retrieve their awesome sock making skills from! which socks tickle your fancy? for me,  it's a toss up between the bird + the wave ones!

wishing you many crafty adventures, no matter the weather!

love love
 {lizzie}
  xoxo

{i LOVE...}

{quilts}

{multi-layer mix}   {kite}   {bundle of quilts}

{hexagons}   {flying geese}   {paper cranes}   {feathers}

{bedroom}   {star}   {zigzag}

hello lovely friendlikins!

how are we all? hope your'e fine + dandy! have your days been full of crafty shenanigans? i know mine are! i'm working on the quilt for tommy + i {as you may know if you follow me on instagram}. i'm teaching tommy how to sew {we're making him a hoody covered in ducks!}. i've also started a spontaneous, make it up as i go along cross-stitch design which i think will eventually be on our wall!

i always seem to hear: 'oh wow, what are you making?!', 'yeah, i like to craft - well i used to, i just don't have time now'...

the thing is - we all have the same amount of time. it all comes down to how we choose to use it! if you want to get your wool + knitting needles out - pencil in time to do it! if you want to learn a new skill, make a plan, follow the steps + wallah - you've learnt something new!

for a very long time, i had been wanting to learn how to quilt. i didn't know anyone who did so, so i stuck with crochet + knit + all my other crafty shenanigans! but a couple of years ago, when i met my soon to be mother-in-law becky {aka nonna}, who is the quilting queen - i knew i would finally learn how to quilt.

i bought a whole pile of lovely fabric, had mini lessons from nonna + had a vast resource of quilting books to learn from too! there's something really special about learning skills from our loved ones. passing down knowledge from one generation to the next. i'm looking forward to passing what i've learnt on to friends, and one day our children.

ahh, quilting. as you can see,  i LOVE it! so many pretty colours + patterns + designs + fun times! i've been hand sewing the quilt, so it's taking a while... but i knew it would + i enjoy the slow nature of it. i also like being able to take the section i'm working on wherever i'm going, instead of being glued to the sewing machine.

how pretty are the quilts above?! so lovely + special + something to be passed down for generations.

well, friendlikins, i hope you feel inspired to learn something new, to make the most of the time the LORD has given us + to take things a bit slower.

love love

 {lizzie}

  xoxo

{i LOVE...}

{stitch}

{table cloth fleurs}   {abstract}   {wall hanging}

{pretty centre}   {stitch your jumper}   {close up}

hello lovely friendlikins!

HAPPY THURSDAY! how are you this fine day? hope your'e ready to soak up the sunshine today - cause there's going to be plenty of it! i thought today i would share something that i've been really loving lately/have always loved - embroidery! whether it's cross-stitch, tapestries, crewel stitch, vintage or abstract - they ALL tickle my fancy! do you like to stitch? what kind of stitchy goodness do you make? the other night, i was itching for some stitch'n. so i retrieved my woollen tapestry thread + i've started on a 'make it up as i go along' project, which shall feature on our walls {probably not for a long time, due to the time consuming nature of it}. i really love the process of making things. crafting something that didn't exist before now + each day watching it evolve + change. i really enjoy sitting + crafting, taking things slow. will you take things a little slower with me? get out your crafty projects, sit, relax, and feel restored for a new day!

hope you have a lovely day : )

i'm off for a bike ride in the park!

love love

{lizzie}

 xoxo

{instagram photo a day}

{july edition}

hello lovely friendlikins!

how be you, this fine + dandy, sunshiny day?! hope all is well + that your'e not getting too bummed about voting + elections + government + what not. all we can do is pray for wisdom + discernment for our leaders. meh, anyway... here are some photos from the last couple of months that i took for the july + august photo a day challenge. enjoy!

11. i wore this!

whilst i painted for 5 1/2 hours!

{august edition}

1. something beginning with n

{nature} it was so windy that this rose flew off!

2. incomplete

3. skyline

view from our loft

4. fresh

went for a lovely bike ride, followed by yummy pancakes + fruit salad for brunch! {@gracieliz}

5. early

early morning stitching - 6am! {@chloerach society6}

6. this means a lot to me

i'm handmade by my creator God + creative like him!

7. a sign

rainbow - God will never flood the whole world again, noah style.

8. peek-a-boo

cutie moose!

9. 2 o'clock

crafternoon time

11. i love doing this!

finding inspiration in crafty books, mags + pinterest!

14. trash

sir moose in his tower of boxes, looking mighty cute!

15. the best

this one is my favourite so far!

22. a room

tapestries in our lounge room!

24. in the background

congratulations freya + leo - engaged!

so as you can see i did horrendously bad in july, but not so bad in august! will you join in for the september photo a day challenge? if you have instagram check out @fatmumslim. and tag your photos with #fmsphotoaday

happy spring snapping my lovely peeps!

love love
{lizzie}
 xoxo

{i LOVE...}

{pom poms}

{garlands}   {woollen collar}   {pom pom chandelier}

{CHRISTmas decoration}   {necklace}   {bear beanie}

{garland}   {multi-coloured}   {gift wrap}   {bundle of pom poms}

hello lovely friendlikins!

hope you've enjoyed a lovely wintery day + aren't suffering from the wintery sniffles like tommy + i are! being sick isn't so fun... but do you know what is FUN?! POM POMS! now i don't mean the cheerleader kind. i mean the wooly, fluff ball kind. they're so easy to make + have so many uses! i found a cute beanie the other day at the shops with a pom pom on top + i've decided i'm going to learn how to make beanies + adorn them with pom poms of course! do you like pom poms? how have you used them in your crafty, wooly, fun times life? growing up i had the usual pom pom beanie, but of late i made a whole bunch of fluffy goodness for tommy + my wedding! they are now in a glass dessert bowl lookin' pretty : )

if you feel like your'e catching the pom pom bug this winter, you should craft up a fluffy ball of your own! one can learn wooly goodness over here

and if you, like me are wanting to learn how to make your very own beanie - you can download the how to deets over here via this dandy video.

HAPPY POM POMMING FRIENDLIKINS!

love love
{lizzie}
 xoxo

{52 things before 25}

{nail art inspiration}

{black + glitter}   {galaxy}   {twinkle toes}   {paint drips}   {paint splat}

{black + polkadots}   {blue floral}   {blue + studded}

{green chevron}   {daisies}   {shell}   {peach + blue chevron}

{pink + glitter}   {geometric}   {pink mix}

hello lovely friendlikins!

HAPPY TUESDAY! hope your'e having a lovely day, even though the clouds are out to play. the topic of today is le nail art. have you been swept up by the craze? when i was in year 7 i would change my nails every week, doing different colour combos + trying out patterns. i had waaay too much time on my hands - literally! these days, i do try to get my nails done fairly regularly. the only problem is that i never wait til there dry enough before i try to do something! and i seem to find myself painting my nails in the car, and the other day at the train station... which actually worked out really well as the cool air + not being at home with all the things enticing me to touch them + ruin my nails.

painting my nails at the train station

drying in the cool air

do you paint your nails in random places too? or is that just me? haha have you tried out any patterns or designs? i've decided to slowly work myself up to the task/i'm not sure if i should bother doing anything too intricate as i'll just end up smudging it! so i started off with black shimmery nail polish - as i never wear black, so something a bit different. i also was going to add some kind of patterny thing to the ones below but didn't get that far. i think they still looked fun : )

step 1. apply nail hardener or base coat.

step 2. apply fun colours of your choosing!

it reminded me of a flower with a golden centre + purple/pink petals. i've been gifted some nail decals, so i think they will be my next challenge. i think something quite simple will be best.

will you join me in learning some nail art skills too? it's all part of my {52 things before 25} goals, which you're more than welcome to join in with + share how you go! that would be dandy : )

love love
{lizzie}
 xoxo

{52 things before 25}

{hairstyles}

{halo braid}   {hair bow}   {headband braid}   

{braid + bun}   {victory rolls}

hello lovely friendlikins!

how are you this fine day? any plans for the weekend? we have quite a busy one! including but most definitely not exclusively a 21st tonight. so what better time to start trying out new hairstyles, i say?! above are a few styles i thought would be lovely to try + also to inspire me to create something new!          

last night i attempted a couple. first was the hair bow:

which was literally a flop.

and then i went for a halo/crown braid:

this one worked out a lot better me thinks! and was the hairstyle i chose for my friday night fun times!

i love having wavey hair after i take out my braids - i feel like a mermaid.

my lovely husband dyed my hair friday night as we watched the pink panther. i LOVE red hair!

it was lovely to have a change, i normally just have my hair out. do you like to stick with what you know or do you like to spice things up a bit? i'm excited to play hair again real soon! will you join me in a few {52 before 25} goals/challenges?!

love love
{lizzie}
 xoxo

p.s. sorry about the lack of hello's from my end. i've been tre sick - still am + have a lovely sexy man voice. hope your'e well friendlikins!

{52 things before 25}

{buy a vintage typewriter}

{mustard}   {aqua}

{peach}   {blue}   {teal}

{aqua}   {pink}

hello lovely friendlikins!

how are you this fine day? so nice to be soaking up the sunshine during the day + being all snuggled up at night. hope you're having a lovely weekend full of adventures + fun times! we slept in after city adventures in the city last night {more on that later} + the plan today is to get tommy's bike fixed + spend the afternoon in crafty stores looking for some tasty wool for some crochet endeavours. i'll also be looking out for some lovely typewriters in online land, as that is one of my goals for {52 things before 25}, that is to buy a vintage typewriter. i LOVE them! i even want to get a teal typewriter tattoo : ). design is in the making! do you love typewriters too? i'm looking forward to making our abode more lovely with it's presence, writing letters to friends, love notes to tommy + incorporating into my etsy biz too! YAY : )

back in school land - now at least 6 years ago, we didn't have a computer + so i needed to use my dad's electric typewriter! not as cool as the vintage ones but it got the job done until we finally got a computer when i was 17! have you used a typewriter before? there's no spell check - which makes writing assignments quite interesting... 

i've also had my eye on this guy:

find this clever guy here

i would pretty much want to get an ipad just to use it on a typewriter - oh yes!

what are your plans for today? do you get lost in craft stores too, full of all their woolly + crafty goodness?! hope you have a lovely day, whatever your plans!

love love

{lizzie}

 xoxo

p.s. how pretty is this one?! 

find this beauty here

{i LOVE...}

{crochet}

{peter pan collar}   {heart}   {hoop doily}   {bracelets}

{balls}   {stool cover}   {scallops}

{circle in square}   {tiny deer}   {giant doily rug}

hello ello friendlikins!

happy monday! how are you this fine day? did you have a weekend full of fun times? saturday was spent eating homemade pizza, freshly baked muffins + playing with a whole lot of family at the park. sunday i was deliriously sick. i was making up songs + not making much sense in general. being sick sucks, BUT crochet is awesome! {did you like my segway? discreet right?} just looking at the pics above puts a smile on my face : ). do you crochet? or would you like to learn? i totes think you should! i think it's much easier to pick up than knitting + easier to manage any mistakes + just a whole lot of colourful, woolly, creative, snuggly, relaxing, good times!

in fact, i think i'll do some crocheting right now. will you join me?

{you can learn how to make granny squares from the lovely pip over here}

love love
{lizzie}
 xoxo

{52 things before 25}

{letter writing}

{confetti}   {vintage mag envelope}   {envelope artistry}   {pretty envelopes}

{a nice surprise}   {type a letter}   {stationery}

{table of inspiration}   {mod paper dolls}   {washi tape}   {knitting stamps}

hello lovely friendlikins!

how are you this rainy chilly day? at least it is here in sydney australia. how's the weather where you are? it's autumn here, is it spring there? i thought i would share with you another of my {52 things before 25} projects/goals!

for those who need the low down - i'm trying to achieve 52 things this year before i turn the big 25 in december! eek! i'm getting old... it's hard to remember how old you really are when your'e friends are mostly younger than you, and when most people think you're 18 yrs old + your husband is 25. how wrong they are! anyways,  for many years - approx. 10 years, i've struggled with sickness. it's quite a long time + it has held me back in ALL the ways. but this year i'm making it an epic year of doing the things i've wanted to do + actually enjoying life + making the most of it!

without my faith in my AWESOME God i wouldn't have been able to get through it but feel so blessed for all that He taught me through it. like patience + trusting fully in Him + knowing His AMAZING character + promises are what brought me through. i really believe that He is preparing me for something great, something that will bring Him glory!

i want to make the most of the time that i have here on earth + i want to love those around me as much as i can! one way i'm going to do this is by sending lovely letters full of awesome goodies to some lovely lady friends : ) maybe you could join me in writing letters, old school style to a friendlikin too?!

thank you God for stationery!
{so much papery goodness...}

love love
{lizzie}
 xoxo

p.s. if anyone knows where the awesome pic of the stationery is from - do let me know, i want to give them due credit! thanks friendlikins : )

{studio}

{inspiration}

LOVE this! - here

do it now calendar - here

lovely wool storage - here

suitcase storage! - here

lovely old sewing machine - here

pretty bowls of wool - here

sounds good to me! - here

hello lovely friendlikins!

for those crafty foxy ladies out there - do you spend as much time dreaming of a craft studio as i do? i had so much fun the first time, i thought i would share some more lovely things for my future studio! woot! where so you look for inspiration? what kinds of things do you like to make? i spend WAY too much time on pinterest  {is what my beautiful hubby would say}. BUT i would say it is worthwhile as it brings so much inspiration + info + ideas + progress in getting things done. whether it's being organised, planning for our dream home, learning new skills, or being open to ALL the possibilities! plus i only pin when i'm watching tv or something like that... i have A LOT of pins but i find them quite valuable.

crafty things i've been doing lately include:

***crocheted envelopes***

***crocheted chain scarves***

***crocheted pin cushion***

***crocheted chunky bracelet***

***crocheted bag***

***crocheted stool cover***

and that's just in the last couple of weeks! as you can see i LOVE to crochet : ) do you?

love love

{lizzie}

 xoxo